Pacer Shardul Thakur became the first Indian contracted player to resume outdoor training after a two-month forced break due to Covid-19 outbreak, following relaxation by the central government in its Lockdown 4.0 guidelines allowing sportspersons to train individually in sports complexes after taking required permissions and following strict guidelines.

Thakur, who has featured in one Test, 11 ODIs and 15 T20s, hit a local ground at Boisar in Maharashtra's Palghar district along with some domestic players. However, Thakur started the outdoor training without taking the requisite permission from the BCCI, which is a must for the contracted players.

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the decision hasn't gone down well the Indian cricket board. "A BCCI official said that it was unfortunate that the Mumbai pacer decided to train without seeking permission from the board," says the report, adding that the official rued that Thakur wasn't allowed to practice outdoor as he is contracted.

"Sadly, he went on his own. Shouldn’t have done this, not a smart move," said the official, adding, "Though he trained in Palghar district – a non-red zone – it wasn’t very smart on his part to go ahead and train without taking an approval from the board at a time when the BCCI is doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the players."

Meanwhile, a report in sports.ndtv.com quoted Thakur, saying, "Yes, we practised today. It was good and definitely pleasing to practice after two months."

According to the report, a Palghar Dahanu Taluka Sports Association official said that the Association started the net sessions at Boisar, which is around 110 kms away from Mumbai.

"Strict safety protocols were followed, with each bowler getting his own set of disinfected balls. All the safety measures were followed. The bowlers got their own balls which were disinfected and temperatures of the players who came for practise were also checked," the official said.