IPL 2025: Are experts too harsh on their criticism on bowlers?

Shardul Thakur, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) all-rounder, has hit out at cricket commentators, accusing them of offering criticism without understanding the real-world challenges faced on the pitch.

Outflanking Challenges & Critics

Initially going unsold during the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2025 mega auction, Shardul Thakur was later signed by LSG as a replacement for Mohsin Khan, who was sidelined by injury. Since then, he has emerged as one of the tournament's standout performers, seizing the spot of the second-highest wicket-taker and the leading fast bowler.

Thakur's recent performance was pivotal in LSG's victory against Gujarat Titans, with the team securing a six-wicket win at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. Thakur dismissed Sherfane Rutherford and Rahul Tewatia, ending with figures of 2 for 34 in his quota of 4 overs.

Responding to Commentary Criticism

Reflecting on both his performance and broader criticisms directed at bowlers, Thakur remarked: "I’ve always believed that, as a bowling unit, we’ve bowled well throughout the season. Often in commentary, the bowlers face harsh criticism. However, it’s crucial to accept that cricket has evolved, and higher scores are becoming regular."

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Thakur further spotlighted the LSG bowling unit's ability to defend totals in challenging conditions. "It’s to our credit that we’ve managed to defend scores on two occasions when batting first. We set a target, the pitch became more favourable for batting, yet, we successfully defended the target — winning by 10 runs and 4 runs in Kolkata," he said.

Addressing the issue of critique coming from commentators, Thakur added, "Criticism is inevitable, especially from commentators. It’s easy to critique bowlers from the studio without seeing the real challenges on the ground. Perhaps they should reflect on their own records before passing judgement on others."