I Am Taking This T20 Tri-Series as a Challenge: Shardul Thakur

Watch India’s Shardul Thakur speak to the media after the T20 match against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Monday.

Shardul Thakur speaks to the media after the T20 match against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Monday.

(Photo: ANI)

Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj

India led the Twenty20 tri-series after beating hosts Sri Lanka by six wickets with nine deliveries to spare in their rain-affected match on Monday.

After putting Sri Lanka into bat, India medium-pacer Shardul Thakur took a career-best 4-27 to restrict Sri Lanka to 152-9.

In the chase in a match reduced to 19 overs per side by rain, India were led home by an unbeaten 68-run stand for the fifth wicket between Manish Pandey (42) and Dinesh Karthik (39).

India has one more win than Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and can clinch a place in the final on Sunday when it plays Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Fast bowler Shardul Thakur said he is taking this T20 tri-series as a challenge.

I am taking this series as a challenge since the senior players are rested. I have done this for the Mumbai team before. I had to step up in the absence of Dhawal Kulkarni, Zaheer Khan or Ajit Agarkar.

Shardul Thakur

Thakur added that one has to be ready for surprises in T20 cricket. After India lost their first match by five wickets, they beat Bangladesh by six wickets.

In T20 cricket, one has to be ready for surprises. The first game against Sri Lanka was an eye-opener for us. I got hit for 27 runs. We have come back very strongly in our last two games.

Shardul Thakur

The 26-year-old expressed that he has been practicing the knuckleball for the last two years.

I have been practicing the knuckleball for a long time. I tried the knuckleball in domestic cricket. I have been working on it for two years.

Shardul Thakur

Sri Lanka were without their regular captain Dinesh Chandimal, who was suspended for two games due to a slow over rate on Saturday against Bangladesh. Thisara Perera led the side in his absence.

(With inputs from AP)