All-rounder Shardul Thakur has finally broken his silence on coach Gautam Gambhir's declaration that the side has moved on from him. The versatile veteran, who just recently went through foot surgery, claims he hasn't lost hope about his future prospects after being recently left out of the national team. Thakur was overlooked for this tour even though he made a memorable performance in the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, particularly at the Gabba. His all-round contribution to the game, including scoring a crucial 67 in the first innings and taking seven wickets, is arguably one of the finest performances for someone under pressure. Thakur had recently spoken about not being included in the team after undergoing surgery in London this June. Here is what Thakur said as quoted by The Indian Express "I haven't had any communication yet, I have just returned from surgery, so it's obvious that's the reason I am not in the team at the moment," Despite the jolt, Thakur has been making a strong case for a comeback through domestic cricket. His performance of late for Mumbai against Services with seven wickets (4/46 & 3/39) mirrors fine form. The all-rounder also spoke about the numerous opportunities ahead. Also Read | 'This is a special win and will stay with me forever,'- Suryakumar on Series Victory "However, my fitness is in great shape now, and since the Australia tour is a long one, opportunities can come anytime. Following that, the England team is also coming to India for white-ball matches, then there's the Champions Trophy, so there's a lot of cricket ahead. So, there will surely be chances somewhere down the line. My only focus at the moment is to further improve my fitness, work harder on my bowling, and always give 100% when I step onto the ground," he added. Notable performances among the Mumbai cricketer included the fastest fifty in England (57 off 36 balls at the Oval in 2021) and his best Test bowling figures of 7/61 at the Wanderers in 2022 against South Africa. 33-year-old stated that he would play after his surgery and is still working on getting more fit. "In the initial one or two matches, I had a bit of hesitation while starting, but as I kept playing matches post-surgery, my confidence gradually developed. Now, I have achieved 100 per cent fitness, and it's reflected in my bowling as well. In the past three or four matches, I have been bowling in full rhythm. Although quite a few catches were dropped, so the wickets aren't reflecting on the board. If those catches were taken, I would have had around 20 wickets in five matches. But that's part and parcel of the game," he concluded.