India allrounder Shardul Thakur has signed to play for Essex in the opening block of County Championship games. Thakur, 33, will be available for seven fixtures during April and May this year.The stint will be a first in county cricket for Thakur,

Shardul Thakur has agreed to a seven-match County Championship deal with Essex from the beginning of the 2025 season.

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur will play seven matches for County team Essex in Division One from the beginning of the 2025 season, the club announced on Tuesday.

After a tough 2024, which saw him fall out of favor with the Indian test team, Shardul Thakur had marked his Ranji Trophy return with a hat-trick against Meghalaya and a century against Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, Shardul had gone unsold at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction as well.

Shardul Thakur, who has so far played 11 Tests, 47 ODIs and 25 T20Is for India, will be playing in the English country circuit for the first time.

Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has signed a deal with Essex, making his County Championship debut. The 33-year-old cricketer will play seven matches in April and May. The news comes after Thakur's stellar performance in the ongoing Ranji Trophy, where he has scored 439 runs at 39.90. He also owns a tally of 34 scalps at 21.67.

India seamer Shardul Thakur signs to play in Essex's first seven games of the 2025 County Championship season.

Indian cricketer Shardul Thakur will play seven matches for Essex in 2025, marking his debut in the English country cricket scene. Thakur, who has consistently performed well, is eager to showcase his talent at Essex.

"I am feeling excited to join Essex this summer. Personally, it brings new challenges and opportunities to showcase my talent and skills. County cricket is something I always wanted to experience and I am glad that I'll be representing the Eagles,” said Thakur.

Shardul Thakur is all set to represent Essex for a brief stint in the upcoming season of the County Championship. The 33-year-old has been signed up for a seven-match deal in initial half of the 2025-26 season. This will be Thakur's first taste of County cricket and the bowling all-rounder is understandably elated about the challenge.

Shardul Thakur joins Essex for County cricket debut, aiming to showcase his all-round skills for India's national team.