Shardul Thakur, the star Indian cricketer known for his all-rounder abilities, was set to make his county cricket debut with Essex Cricket Club for the upcoming County Championship 2025 which has been his long-standing desire to experience this format. 

He also shared his excitement about the same previous month and said, “County cricket is something I always wanted to experience and I am glad that I’ll be representing the Eagles”, as he joined the Essex Club officially. 

However, his recent signing with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the IPL 2025 as a replacement for fast bowler Mohsin Khan might shatter his dream of playing for county cricket as the dates clash between the IPL and Essex schedule.

It was Shardul Thakur’s decision not to participate in the County Championships and rather feature in the IPL 2025 for LSG. The club officially confirmed the news and wrote on their X account, “Essex Cricket can confirm that Shardul Thakur will no longer be joining the Club for the start of the 2025 season following his selection by Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement player in the Indian Premier League.  

While we are naturally disappointed, we fully understand Shardul’s decision and wish him all the best for the tournament.”

Club Statement: Shardul Thakur

Essex Cricket can confirm that Shardul Thakur will no longer be joining the Club for the start of the 2025 season following his selection by Lucknow Super Giants as a replacement player in the Indian Premier League.

While we are naturally… pic.twitter.com/SWMUEK19IL

— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) March 23, 2025

His absence is seen as a missed opportunity for him to gain valuable experience in the English conditions ahead of India’s England tour later this year. However, the clash is only with the first six county games, which means he might be able to play from the seventh match according to his contract with Essex though it depends on how far LSG goes in the IPL 2025.

Shardul Thakur’s decision to join Essex came after his successful domestic season at the Ranji Trophy 2025, where he made 439 runs and took 34 wickets. Now, he looks forward to establishing himself as a key player in the IPL 2025 for LSG. 

Over the year, the right-handed batter has respected several teams in the IPL and has played a total of 94 IPL matches where he took 95 wickets and scored 307 runs in total. He has been an effective bowler in the tournament, achieving multiple three-wicket hauls. The pressure will be on his shoulders as he tries to fill the shoes of the star bowler Mohsin Khan.

Also Read: Get Ready For IPL 2025: Full Schedule, Fixtures and More

Oval Invincibles emerged as the ultimate champions in The Hundred 2024 becoming the first franchise to win the title in a row. The Southern Brave won the inaugural season of The Hundred in 2021 and Trent Rockets took the trophy home in the second season.

The Invincibles became the first team to win back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. The women’s team of Oval Invincibles also became the first to win the Women’s Hundred twice in 2021 and 2023.

Let us have a look at the teams who became the first to win two titles across various T20 leagues in the world.

SA20–Sunrisers Eastern Cape

The inaugural season of the South Africa T20 League was launched in 2023 and only two editions have been played so far. Sunrisers Eastern Cape emerged victorious on both the occasions.

LPL – Jaffna franchise

Jaffna Stallions won the maiden Lanka Premier League season in 2020. However, the owners renamed the team as Jaffna Kings soon after the title win. Jaffna Kings went on to win the 2021 season as well. They won on both the occasions by defeating Galle Gladiators in the finals.

PSL – Quetta Gladiators

Quetta Gladiators won the first edition of the Pakistan Super League in 2016. Peshawar Zalmis, who were the runners-up in the previous season, went on to win the second instalment and Islamabad won the third one. However, Quetta Gladiators reigned supreme in the fourth tournament and became the first team to win two titles in the PSL.

BBL – Perth Scorchers

Perth Scorchers ended up as runners-up in the first two seasons of Australia’s Big Bash League. The finally broke the jinx and went on to clinch the titles back-to-back in the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons to become the first team to achieve the feat of winning two or more BBL editions.

Also Read: The Hundred: IPL Players Who’d Become Superstars

IPL – Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings won their maiden Indian Premier League title in 2010 by beating Mumbai Indians in the final. In the following year, they successfully defended the title by defeating Rajasthan Royals in the final, thus becoming the first IPL team to clinch the title twice. 

The 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) season kicked off on 5th July 2024 and witnessed some of the players playing as Americans who have already made their cricket debut in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as Indians in the previous seasons. With MI New York as the defending champions, the 2024 Major League Cricket will witness its final showdown on 28th of July 2024. 

A total of six teams, including Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Washington Freedom and Texas Super Kings would be competing against each other to clinch the tournament. The 2024 Major League Cricket will majorly take place at two iconic venues, including Grand Prairie Stadium located in Grand Prairie, Texas and Church Street Park located in Morrisville, North Carolina.

In this article, we will take a look at the top three cricketers who have earlier made their IPL appearance as Indians and are now a part of the MLC 2024 season as Americans. 

• Milind Kumar 

Indian-born cricketer, Milind Kumar made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut as an Indian cricketer in the seventh edition of IPL in 2014. Milind Kumar was acquired by the Delhi Daredevils franchise for a base auction price of INR 10 Lakhs. However, the IPL 2019 season witnessed a smooth transition for the cricketer  as he switched his sides to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a whopping INR 20 Lakhs. Currently, in the ongoing Major League Cricket 2024 season, Milind Kumar has been picked up by the Texas Super Kings squad.

An anecdote of Milind Kumar’s career statistics is provided below: 

Milind Kumar’s Batting & Fielding Statistics: 

Harmeet Singh 

Harmeet Singh Baddhan is the second player in the list of cricketers who have earlier made their IPL appearance as Indians and are now a part of the MLC 2024 season as Americans. Harmeet Singh Baddhan made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut for the Rajasthan Royals squad during the IPL 2013 season. Additionally, the Indian-born slow left-arm orthodox bowler also represented the Indian side at the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup before transitioning into an American cricketer. The ongoing Major League Cricket 2024 Season witnessed Harmeet Singh playing for the Seattle Orcas squad.

An anecdote of Harmeet Singh’s career statistics is provided below: 

Harmeet Singh’s Bowling Statistics: 

• Unmukt Chand 

Former Indian cricketer, Unmukt Chand played as an Indian cricketer for a decade before announcing his retirement from Indian cricket in 2020. The Delhi-born cricketer made his official Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in the IPL 2010 season for Delhi Daredevils. Unmukt Chand represented the DD squad for three seasons before switching sides to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) squad in the IPL 2014 season. Unmukt Chand also represented Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL 2014 season. Unmukt Chand made an iconic transition and made his memorable Major Cricket League (MCL) debut in 2021 and is currently a crucial part of the Los Angeles Knight Riders squad for the ongoing Major League Cricket 2024. 

An anecdote of Unmukt Chand’s career statistics is provided below: 

Unmukt Chand’s Batting & Fielding Statistics: 

Also Read: What Is Power Blast In Lanka Premier League 2024?