After going unsold in the Indian Premier League auction, seam-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur is set to make a comeback, joining Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan.

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LSG confirmed the signing in an official statement, announcing that Thakur was brought in from the registered available player pool at his base price of $23 million. The 33-year-old all-rounder replaces left-arm pacer Mohsin, who has been ruled out of the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to injury.

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Thakur, who recently showcased stellar form in the Ranji Trophy for Mumbai—scoring 505 runs and taking 35 wickets in nine matches after recovering from foot surgery—had earlier signed with Essex for county cricket. His vast IPL experience includes stints with five franchises: Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Kolkata Knight Riders, and Rising Pune Supergiant. In 95 IPL appearances, he has picked 67 wickets with an economy rate of 8.89.

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See Shardul during practice sesison with LSG:

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LSG, under their new captain Rishabh Pant, will kick off their campaign against Delhi Capitals on Monday, March 24, in Visakhapatnam.

Meanwhile, Mohsin Khan, who reportedly sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his right knee during the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December, remains with the LSG camp for rehabilitation. According to an ESPNcricinfo report, he will work closely with the team’s support staff on his recovery plan.

Lack of pacers at LSG

Besides him, LSG’s premier Indian pacers, including Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav and Avesh Khan, continue to recover from their respective injuries at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru; all three are yet to link up with the squad. 

Zaheer Khan, LSG mentor, also spoke on the same lines. Without sharing many details on their match fitness, Zaheer underlined the side’s approach this season as their chase for their maiden IPL title continues. 

(With inputs from agencies)