The Lucknow Super Giants have allowed Shardul Thakur to leave for England ahead of their final Indian Premier League game, as he prepares for India’s tour to England.
The bowling all-rounder is part of the India ‘A’ squad, which will play three warmup matches before the first Test begins on June 20 at Headingley.
National duty
Thakur is also part of the final 18-man squad that will play the Test series and is expected to play a key role as the bowling all-rounder option.
“Yes, we have allowed Shardul to leave for the UK. It is about national duty and we always want our players to do well for India. Shardul has done well for us and we wish him well,” a source close to the development confirmed in a report.
Thakur returned to the Indian Test squad after a gap of nearly 18 months after a stellar season in domestic cricket with the red ball.
He will be part of the India ‘A’ squad, which will play two matches against the England Lions before taking part in an intra-squad match that will involve all members of the senior team.
The India A squad leaves for the UK on May 26, and LSG will be without the star all-rounder for their final league game against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which is scheduled for May 27, Tuesday.
LSG are currently seventh in the table with 12 points from 13 matches and will look to close out a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign with a win against the high-flying RCB.
LSG are out of contention for a spot in the IPL 2025 playoffs.
India’s tour to England
A new-look Indian team — with a new captain in Shubman Gill and vice-captain in Rishabh Pant — will embark on a tough tour to England, where they will play five Test matches.
The first Test begins on June 20 at Headingley, while the fifth and final Test is scheduled for July 31-August 4 at the Oval cricket ground in London.
Thakur played in India’s tour of England in 2022 and last played a Test match for the senior team in South Africa in December 2023.
