Mumbai: Soon after leading his team to an innings and 222-run annihilation of Pondicherry at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, Shardul Thakur posed for selfies and pictures with fans who had gathered near the Mumbai dressing-room staircase. Even though he is not part of the Indian team currently, ‘Lord’ Thakur has reason to be pleased with how his life is going at the moment.Asked to take up the Mumbai captaincy after ex-India captain Ajinkya Rahane quit the post, the 34-year-old has led Mumbai, who are now topping their group with 24 points, to three outright wins in their first five matches of the 2025-26 edition of the Ranji Trophy.
After enduring a 2024-25 season during which they looked in danger of exiting at the league stage of the Ranji Trophy, suffering a stunning five-wicket defeat to Jammu and Kashmir at the MCA ground in BKC, and eventually losing by 80 runs to Vidarbha in the semifinals, the domestic giants are looking at their best again this season.Clearly, the Mumbai team seems to be enjoying their cricket under Thakur’s captaincy. While bidding for an India comeback, the veteran allrounder appears to be relishing his role as the new leader of a team that always faces the pressure of expectations.Asked how exactly the Mumbai captaincy came about for him at the start of this season, Thakur said, “They asked me whether I’m ready to lead the team or not. I immediately said ‘yes, of course I’m ready to lead the team.’Elaborating on his captaincy mantra, which seems to be working well for the Mumbai team, Thakur said, “I have my own style, and I keep telling these boys when we are on the field that we shouldn’t be afraid of making tactical changes in our games. If you feel something is necessary or we could apply these tactics, then you should go ahead with it, and you should keep bringing fresh ideas to the table. So, that’s my motto. And of course, don’t go overboard with things. We also need to know our limits as players, and within the limit, whatever your game allows you, you should be able to do that. That’s my simple message for everyone.”Having played under illustrious captains like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for India and Chennai Super Kings, Thakur has imbibed the art of leading a team from all three modern-day India greats, though he rates Dhoni as the “No. 1 captain” in his book. “For me, Mahi bhai is always No. 1 (captain). But yes, I take a leaf out of all three’s captaincy style. I’ve watched them closely… how they lead the team and handle things. It’s important for me to keep taking positives from their captaincy,” Thakur said.The homecoming to MI, at lastThakur is also pleased with his city’s IPL team, the Mumbai Indians, having traded him from Lucknow Super Giants for IPL 2026. “Everyone likes to play at their home venue. This has been pending for a long time. But when the time comes… that’s when it becomes possible. So the time has finally come,” he said, smiling.
