Latest news with #B.SaiSudharsan
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Promise and learnings: Sai Sudharsan's foray into Test cricket
B. Sai Sudharsan has been making rapid strides in the last four years. The 23-year-old set the stage on fire earlier this year in the IPL, finishing at the top of the run charts (759 runs). The left-hander, who has already donned the India colours in ODIs and T20Is, added another feather to his cap in June when he made his Test debut against England in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy that ended 2-2. Though Sai Sudharsan played only three Tests and had middling returns (140 runs) with a highest score of 61, the Tamil Nadu batter showed promise in challenging conditions. 'To be honest, the feeling on Test debut was completely different [to the other formats]. Everyone used to say Test cricket is the ultimate, and I finally experienced it. The feeling when I was standing for the national anthem was special... especially playing in England,' Sai Sudharsan told The Hindu. Wearing the India jersey in a Test series at England… it's a feeling I will never forget. Every moment, every session taught me something new. This win is special 🇮🇳🙏 — Sai Sudharsan (@sais_1509) August 4, 2025 On his performance, Sai Sudharsan rued not converting his starts but was happy with the control he showed in the middle. 'It was disappointing not to convert after getting those starts, and I should have made a big knock. I felt it was one of the most significant learnings. Having got through the difficult phase, in India, you could open up and be aggressive. But in England, you have to keep it tight and do what you did in the first hour. These are things I want to learn and structure my batting around,' he explained. 'Even if we have a great season, we will have points to improve. But if it is just an OK series like this, there are a lot of areas to work on, whether it's the mindset or even from a run-making point of view.' Further elaborating on the technical learnings, he added: 'There are a few things that I can improve on, like tracking the ball well, and even timing the ball better. Those things will help me to be in a better position when the ball is swinging or seaming. I need to get more refined on these things, which will help me face any difficult situation I might face in the future.' Sai Sudharsan emphasised that the new-look Indian team's mindset was to beat England. 'It was a great series for us. The captain (Shubman Gill) played some unbelievable knocks. Right from the first meeting, it was clear we were not coming in as a new team looking to gain experience, but to dominate.' On the team's morale heading into the final morning at The Oval when England needed 35 runs with four wickets in hand, Sai Sudharsan said: 'We went in believing we could level the series. The fast bowlers bowled their heart out on the fourth evening, and it was their effort that kept us in the game. So once the rain came, they could come fresh on the final morning and win the game.'
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Sai Sudharsan Makes Test Debut for India in First Test vs England at Headingley
B. Sai Sudharsan will make his Test debut after being named in India's playing XI for the first Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, starting June 20 at Headingley. Cheteshwar Pujara presented Sudharsan with his Test cap ahead of the toss. With three ODI appearances and one T20I already under his belt, his Test debut completes the full set of international formats. Sudharsan has been a consistent force in white-ball cricket. He was the leading run-scorer in IPL 2025, winning the Orange Cap and cementing his reputation as one of India's brightest batting prospects. While his first-class average stands at a modest 39.93 from 49 innings, the selectors have backed his potential and long-term upside. That said, the last Indian top-order batter to have a sub-40 first-class average at the time of Test debut was Wookeri Raman, against West Indies in Chennai in 1987/88. What works in Sudharsan's favour is familiarity with English conditions — he featured in a few County Championship matches for Surrey during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. In five innings for Surrey, he averaged 35, including a century against Nottinghamshire last year — a knock that hinted at his adaptability in seaming conditions. Related Topics Sai Sudharsan
The Hindu
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Exciting ninth edition of TNPL kicks off with defending champions Dindigul Dragons facing Lyca Kovai Kings.
The IPL might have just ended less than 48 hours ago, but T20 league action will continue in the country when the ninth edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League kicks off at the Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science here on Thursday. In the opening fixture, defending champion Dindigul Dragons, led by former India off-spinner R. Ashwin, will take on the Lyca Kovai Kings in a rematch of last year's summit clash. The TNPL has been a nurturing ground for players from the state to take the next step. As many as 11 cricketers from Tamil Nadu featured in the recently concluded IPL, and most of them have benefited from the T20 league that started in 2016. B. Sai Sudharsan, who finished as the highest run-getter in the IPL, was one of the most recent finds of the TNPL when he burst onto the scene in a breakout season for Kovai Kings in 2021. The eight-team tournament will be played across four venues, starting in Coimbatore before moving to Salem and Tirunelveli. Dindigul will host the final leg of the tournament, including the Playoffs. There have been some significant changes in team composition post the mega auction earlier this year, with some big names, including Vijay Shankar and M. Mohammed, finding new homes. The Chennai-born former UAE leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan, who scalped a hat-trick against Sri Lanka in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, has returned home and will make his TNPL debut. This year, the TNPL will have DRS calls for wides and no-balls. With the IPL scouts expected to be scouring across the venues, it will be a chance for TN's bright hopefuls to show their wares and follow in the footsteps of the likes of Sai Sudharsan, T. Natarajan, and Varun Chakarvarthy. TNPL schedule: League stages: At Coimbatore: June 5-11; At Salem: June 13-19; At Tirunelveli: June 21-26; At Dindigul: June 28-29; Playoffs (At Dindigul): Qualifier 1: July 1; Eliminator: July 2; Qualifier 2: July 4; Final: July 6.
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
GT vs CSK, IPL 2025: Sai Sudharsan says Test call up only start of his story
B. Sai Sudharsan had to work his fingers to the bone in domestic cricket, prove his mettle on the green tops of Surrey, and then annihilate bowlers in the Indian Premier League 2025 to finally break down the proverbial selectors' door and earn his maiden Test call-up for the England series on Saturday. As he addressed the media ahead of the Gujarat Titans' final league game against the Chennai Super Kings, the Orange Cap holder looked visibly elated. He said, 'It feels great, special, and surreal. Any young cricketer who wants to start playing cricket wants to play Tests for the country. That's the ultimate goal.' Sai Sudharsan got on a call with his near and dear ones once he received the news. 'I had a FaceTime call with my parents, brother, some family friends, and close friends. They were very happy, and I could see that on their faces. It's just the start. There's a lot more to add to the story.' The 23-year-old is 'grateful' to have Shubman Gill, his IPL captain, double up as his Test skipper. 'I've been a part of Shubman's growth. I have seen him for the last four years - such a talented and skillful batter. He will bring laurels to the country. I am very happy to play under him in my first Test series.' Sridharan Sriram, CSK's assistant bowling coach, also heaped praise on the batter. 'He (Sai Sudharsan) is an amazing player. There is no doubt about it. The way he has blossomed as a batter over the past 24 months is just phenomenal. And if you purely look at it from a Tamil Nadu point of view, it is great for our State that a boy of such calibre is coming up the ranks. Can't wait for him to make his Test debut and make our State and the country proud. I think he will end up as one of the best batters Tamil Nadu has had.'
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Very special and surreal: Sai Sudharsan on getting maiden Test call-up
B. Sai Sudharsan had to work his fingers to the bone in domestic cricket, prove his mettle on the green tops of Surrey, and then annihilate bowlers in the ongoing IPL 2025 to finally break down the proverbial selectors' door and earn his maiden Test call-up for the tour of England on Saturday. As he addressed the media ahead of Gujarat Titans' final league game against Chennai Super Kings, the Orange Cap holder looked visibly elated. 'Feels great, very special, and surreal also. Any young cricketer wants to play Tests for the country. That's the ultimate goal.' The 23-year-old batter is 'grateful' to have Shubman Gill, his GT captain, double up as his Test skipper. 'I have seen him for the last four years — such a talented and skillful batter. He will bring laurels to the country. Very happy to play under him in my first Test series,' Sai Sudharsan said. Sridharan Sriram, CSK's assistant bowling coach, heaped gushing praise on Sai Sudharsan. 'He (Sai Sudharsan) is an amazing player, no doubt about it. The way he has blossomed as a batter over the past 24 months is phenomenal. If you purely look at it from a Tamil Nadu point of view, it is great for our State that a boy of such calibre is coming up the ranks. Can't wait for him to make his Test debut and make our State and the country proud. I think he will end up as one of the best batters TN has had.'
