Latest news with #SaiSudharsan
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Is Sai Sudharsan ready for the big leap?
A little shimmy to the off, his stumps exposed to the fast bowler, and a cheeky paddle-scoop over the 'keeper or fine-leg, for four or six. That has been one of B. Sai Sudharsan's more productive strokes in IPL 2025. It's a stroke that has also brought about his downfall. Against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their first home game of the season on April 2, the left-hander's attempt at shovelling a slower ball from Josh Hazlewood resulted merely in a bottom-edged loop that nestled in Jitesh Sharma's gloves. It wasn't a costly mistake; Sai Sudharsan's 49 had taken his team to within 63 of the target of 170, which Jos Buttler and Sherfane Rutherford reeled in with a massive 13 deliveries to spare. There wasn't a similar happy ending in Mullanpur in Friday night's Eliminator. The in-form Sai Sudharsan and his captain and opening partner, Shubman Gill, carried most of Gujarat Titans' hopes after Mumbai Indians stacked up 228 for five in the winner-take-all knockout encounter, particularly with Buttler having flown the nest to link up with England for national duty. Gill was knocked over early, by Trent Boult, but Sai Sudharsan carried on manfully, elegantly, rapidly, like he had done all season. First with Kusal Mendis and then alongside Tamil Nadu buddy Washington Sundar, the 23-year-old kept the 2022 champions in the hunt, furrowed brows and resultant crease lines on the Mumbai Indians foreheads indicative of their mounting desperation. Even when Washington was cleaned up by a peach of a yorker from Jasprit Bumrah, the Titans were on course, needing 78 from 38. Not regulation or straightforward, not by any stretch of the imagination, but there still was Sai Sudharsan, wasn't he? The tournament's leading scorer, having breezed past his sixth half-century (to go with an unbeaten hundred), sighting the ball superbly, willing it to go where he wanted it to, in total command even against Bumrah, if only defensively. The Titans had reached 170 for three, 59 away from a place in Qualifier 2 with 27 deliveries to go and seven wickets in hand. Anyone's game, really. Until Sai Sudharsan moved to his left, seeking to scoop season debutant Richard Gleeson over the fine-leg fielder who was inside the 30-yard circle. Having overcommitted to the stroke, Sai Sudharsan had no answer when the English right-arm quick bowled a full, quick ball that homed in on the base of the middle stump. As Sai Sudharsan missed, Gleeson hit, the unmistakable death rattle a body blow to the Titans, a death knell if ever there was one. Sai Sudharsan trudged off, disconsolate, the thunderous wave of applause from a massive crowd that had been treated to subliminal batsmanship barely registering. He didn't care that he had wowed on his way to 80 off 49, it mattered not one bit that he had amassed 759 runs in 15 innings at an extremely impressive strike-rate of 156.17. He had let his side down after doing all the hard work, he had failed to take them past the finish line. Sai Sudharsan almost knew that with him, the Titans' last hope had disappeared even though there still was some firepower waiting to be unleashed. His worst fears came true a half-hour later when the five-time former champions completed a 20-run victory, ushering the Titans out of the tournament as they finished their otherwise impressive campaign with three crushing losses when it mattered the most. Sai Sudharsan doesn't have much time to mope and brood and wonder what might have been. After all, a Test tour of England awaits, and he can ill-afford, both from a personal and team perspective, to stay rooted in the past. A bigger, far more demanding and exciting challenge lies ahead of him as he prepares for life with the Indian Test squad for the first time. Already, one suspects, Sai Sudharsan's focus will have shifted from the white Kookaburra to the dark red Dukes, England's preferred weapon of destruction in their backyard. At some stage over the next couple of months, potentially as early as June 20 and the first of five Tests at Headingley, Sai Sudharsan should receive his Test cap. The think-tank is currently playing it coy – the cards, facing inwards, are a millimetre away from the chest and one isn't sure which of the numerous top-order batters will occupy what positions in the top four – and therefore it can't be said with guaranteed assurance that Sai Sudharsan will line up in Leeds. But it will be a travesty if he doesn't, given not just the mountain of runs he has stacked up in the IPL but also the manner in which he has gone about piecing them together. The soft-spoken left-hander doesn't have the most intimidating of first-class records; in an era where an average of 50 in domestic first-class cricket doesn't really mean too much, he only tips the scales at 39.93 after 29 outings for Tamil Nadu and a host of other teams, including for India 'A' and, notably, for Surrey in the English County Championship for two summers. Like Karun Nair, who has also county experience for Northamptonshire over the last two seasons, Sai Sudharsan turned to England to further his education, playing five Division 1 games for Surrey, including three in 2024. The last of them, against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, yielded 105 and 28. That alone shouldn't be the clincher, it goes without saying. But Sai Sudharsan has done enough either side of those innings to merit a place in the starting XI as India embark on the road to transition following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Grand opportunity Nearly three decades back, a classy left-handed Indian announced himself in Test cricket with a magnificent century on debut at Lord's. Sourav Ganguly had spent four and a half years in the wilderness after first breaking into the Indian (one-day) set-up in Australia in 1991-92. Exactly 29 years ago on June 20 (the same date the Leeds Test will start), he became India's Test cricketer No. 206, celebrating his long wait with a glorious 131 in the first innings, batting at No. 3, a slot that Sai Sudharsan is expected to occupy behind K.L. Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Without getting sucked into the comparison game, Sai Sudharsan has a grand opportunity to emulate the former captain though Ganguly himself will acknowledge that the younger left-hander from Chennai hasn't quite shown the same discomfort thus far against the shorter ball like Ganguly did at various stages of his career. Sai Sudharsan can't afford to take his place for granted and from whatever one can glean, he is anyway not the sort to do so. By his own admission, he has plenty to learn but unlike an 'A' tour which can largely be classed as a learning experience, in the searing cauldron of Test cricket, he must learn on the job, so to say. A five-Test series is a huge examination of not just one's skill and ability, but also mental fortitude and the ability to bounce back. It does afford the chance to recover from early setbacks, but it can also be unforgiving in exposing technical inadequacies, as Kohli found out in England in 2014 and again in Australia in what has become the final act of his extraordinary red-ball journey. Alongside Gill and Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan forms the core group expected to take Indian Test batting forward. All these men are in their 20s – at 27, Pant is the oldest, the most experienced and the most successful to date – and will attempt to grow into their roles in the company of Rahul and Nair, both 33 but at different ends of the Test spectrum. The former, who made his Test debut in December 2014, is the most experienced of India's specialist batters with 58 appearances while Nair has played a mere has played a mere six Tests, the last of them in March 2017 even though he had made a Test triple just three months previously. Even as he is trying to rediscover his Test chops, Nair must also, in the company Rahul and Pant and Ravindra Jadeja, carry the younger lot along. Sai Sudharsan is the second youngest of that younger lot, behind Jaiswal. He is aware that while he doesn't have the luxury of bedding himself in, he is on the cusp of being accorded a rare privilege (an Indian Test cap) that has only previously been conferred on 316 men in more than nine decades since India first played a Test match. There is little to suggest that, his middling first-class record (1,957 runs in 29 matches) notwithstanding, Sai Sudharsan will not hit the ground running in Test match cricket. He has the game to do so, orthodox and organised and effective and efficient, and he is high on confidence, both given his recent heroics and the fact that his captain at the Titans is also India's new Test captain. He won't look for preferential treatment because that's not how the world of competitive sports works, but he will feed off his understanding with Gill, which translated to upwards of 900 runs as an opening pair in IPL 2025. Sai Sudharsan will get at least one, most likely two, warm-up fixtures to hit his straps before the Test series, starting probably with a four-day unofficial 'Test' against England Lions starting in Northampton this Friday. It may or may not be an audition, depending on whether the team management has already firmed up its plans or whether it is looking for cues (India 'A' captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is also in the Test 18) before settling on personnel for the Leeds opener, but Sai Sudharsan will approach it as if his Test career depends on it. Perhaps it does, who knows. Among other things, Sai Sudharsan has already revealed his unflappability in the face of pressure, imaginary or otherwise. Why should it be any different now?
Mint
a day ago
- Sport
- Mint
Sai Sudharsan to feature in India's next T20 World Cup squad? GT star says ‘still a long way to go'
Gujarat Titans' opening batter, Sai Sudharsan, has had a breakout season in the IPL this year. He currently leads the Orange Cap leaderboard with 759 runs in 15 innings, boasting an impressive strike rate of 156.17 and an average of 54.21. However, his heroics were not enough to secure a win for the Gujarat Titans in their Eliminator clash against the Mumbai Indians on Friday. After the match, Sudharsan was asked if he was aiming for a place in India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad. The young batter played down his chances, saying that he still had a lot to work on as a T20 player. 'I mean, playing for the country is obviously a dream for everybody, so I would love to do that…But I'm not thinking on those lines because if you see about the season, I have a lot of things to improve as a T20 batter. There are so many facets of the game, or so many sectors, I should improve when I play T20 again. So I'm focusing more on that. Of course, when I get an opportunity, I will give my best for the country.' Sudharsan said after the match. The GT batter has given his franchise consistent starts throughout the season and played an important role in helping them reach the top fou stage. Even in the Eliminator clash, Sudharsan played an 80 run knock to help provide a fighting chance to GT but the team eventually lost the match by 20 runs. Sudharsan will now be focusing on the five-match series against England, which starts on 20 June. Before the series begins, the batsman will have the chance to join the India A team for their second unofficial match against the England Lions on 6 June. Sai Sudharsan's next assignment is the India A tour of England, which started on the same day as the Eliminator with the first four-day game in Canterbury. It remains to be seen if both Sai Sudharsan and Gill make it in time for the second fixture starting on June 6 in Northampton, but GT's early elimination from the playoffs does give the duo extra time to fly out and get some red-ball game time.
India Today
a day ago
- Sport
- India Today
IPL Qualifier 2 Preview: Comeback kings Mumbai face Punjab in final hurdle before summit clash
A belligerent Mumbai Indians have forced their way into Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League in a bid to reach the final this season. Down and out after losing the first four of their five matches, Mumbai hurled themselves back into contention, owing to some superb team performances in the second half of the in the Eliminator, Mumbai were put under the pump by Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudharsan, but they weathered that storm, making sure that they brought themselves closer to the promised land, one that this team desperately has been a massive turnaround in the mood at the MI camp. In 2024, when Hardik Pandya freshly took over the side, things looked broken. Mark Boucher, the former coach of the side, looked out of depth, and Mumbai paid the price of not showing a united front. Finishing 10th in IPL 2024 probably rubbed the players and the management the wrong way, and they proceeded to make some crucial changes to their line-up. They had a superb IPL auction, one where they brought in key reinforcements to the side, to bolster an already strong even then, things went a little pear-shaped after the team failed to put in a good start to the tournament. It took four losses for MI to show a united front. The senior members stood up, the youngsters clicked and more importantly, the return of Jasprit Bumrah galvanised the then Mumbai went on a rampaging run, which, if they win the IPL 2025, will turn out to be the story of the performance in the Eliminator would have sent shivers down the spine of the remaining two sides in the competition, and rightly so, because when Mumbai mean business, it is fairly difficult to stop LOOK TO SHAKE OFF MULLANPUR HORRORPunjab Kings are certainly one of the teams of the tournament. It cannot be stated enough how drastically different Punjab have been than the rest of the teams. Two uncapped openers at the top, and a host of all-rounders throughout the rest of the line-up, it would be a tale for the ages of thinking outside the traditional ways can help in the T20 their unlikely system worked for the majority of the tournament, the fairytale came crashing down in the Qualifier 1 against RCB in Mullanpur, where they were bundled out for just 101 is an argument that Punjab, as a team, are not very suitable for conditions which require the use of specialists, and, thankfully for them, not all conditions in the Indian Premier League, demand that in the first will probably breathe a sigh of relief that they are playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where the team's fairytale run their first match of the Indian Premier League, Punjab ripped apart Gujarat Titans, handing them a comprehensive defeat on March onus will be on Shreyas Iyer to give his best shot in Qualifier 2 of the tournament. Punjab bowling coach James Hopes had said after their last game that PBKS had worked hard enough to deserve a second chance in the they have it, albeit against Mumbai Indians, a thoroughly scary team in the vs PBKS: Team NewsThere are no injury concerns in any team. Deepak Chahar seemed to have pulled a muscle, but he is reported to be fully fit for the Punjab Punjab Kings, there is no news on Yuzvendra Chahal, who missed the last game. Which means that he is likely to be unavailable for the clash against vs MI: Pitch and Weather ReportThis match was shifted out of Kolkata due to the prediction of rain. Lo and behold, it seems that there no escaping rain, as Ahmedabad received showers on May 31 evening, just 24 hours before the the pitch under cover, it would be a little tricky to make any predictions. Even if it is a batting track, Punjab would be mindful of taking things a little slow than they did in Qualifier 1, which might lead to yet another meltdown in the playoffs this vs MI: Head-to-HeadMumbai trail Punjab 2-3 in recent battles (since 2022) but overall they enjoy a slight edge of vs MI: Predicted Playing XIsMumbai IndiansRohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Raj Bawa, Mitchell Santner, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Richard Sub: Ashwani KumarPunjab KingsPrabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harpreet Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Kyle Sub: Vijaykumar VyshakMI vs PBKS, Qualifier 2: Fantasy picksMumbai Indians:Jasprit BumrahSuryakumar YadavTrent BoultRohit SharmaHardik PandyaPunjab Kings:Prabhsimran SinghPriyansh AryaShreyas IyerMarcus StoinisArshdeep SinghTune InTrending Reel IN THIS STORY#IPL 2025
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Stung by Gujarat Titans' exit, Sudharsan now turns focus on red-ball cricket
NEW CHANDIGARH: B Sai Sudharsan might not have been able to take Gujarat Titans across the line in the Eliminator against Mumbai Indians at the New PCA Stadium, New Chandigarh, but the youngster walked away with plenty of goodwill. Having amassed an impressive 759 runs (No 1 in the list as of May 31), Sudharsan had a remarkable journey. The left-handed batter from Tamil Nadu became the youngest to cross the 700-run mark on Friday. But that was not enough. Despite his contribution of 80 (off 49 balls) on the day, GT fell short of Mumbai's target to bow out. Given the team's lofty ambitions, Sai Sudharsan is certainly stung by this defeat. "I mean it is good to see that I had a good season or I was consistent enough for my team, but I think when the job is not finished, you do not get that ultimate satisfaction when you get back to your home," he reflected after the match. "There is a lot of disappointment in the environment because the way we played the first 12 or 13 games, which was fantastic to see as a group or as a team from outside, even when you look at a season like this, I think our team was so good. They did a lot of things really well, so finishing a tournament like this does not give me that complete satisfaction, but appreciating the performances and, of course, learning from it is the thing forward," Sai Sudharsan added. Sai Sudharsan now has a fresh challenge in store. Having earned his maiden Test call-up for the five-match series in England, he'll be looking to keep up his rich run in the five-day format. He was also named in the A-team squad for the second unofficial Test, but Sai Sudharsan was not prepared to leave the IPL before June 4. "We were not thinking about when to leave for India or the Test team, but if that was the plan, we would have left on June 6, but now we will have to have a conversation and see how it goes," he said.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Economic Times
IPL might have just given India its next Test opener and he is Shubman Gill's top man
Sai Sudharsan's impressive IPL 2025 performance has earned him a Test call-up for India's series in England, signaling a potential new opening partnership with Shubman Gill. Despite Gujarat Titans' elimination, Sudharsan's consistency and adaptability, highlighted by his prolific run-scoring and technical prowess, position him as a promising prospect for the red-ball format. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Is Sai ready for the transition from white to red ball? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Sai remains humble about T20 stint in Blue For the Gujarat Titans IPL 2025 has ended. Looking back at this season's journey, if one thing the franchise has given to Indian cricket , it would be the Sai Sudharsan comes a moment in every cricketer's journey when preparation meets opportunity, and for Sai Sudharsan, that moment may have finally the middle of a generational shift in Indian cricket, with stalwarts like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli stepping away from Test duties, a new story is ready to unfold—one led by Shubman Gill , and possibly opened by Sudharsan. The 23-year-old left-hander has received his maiden Test call-up ahead of India's five-match series in England, signalling the beginning of a new red-ball era.'Good things come to those who wait. But better things come to those who work for it.' This line mirrors Sudharsan's steady, disciplined rise from domestic cricket to the IPL spotlight and now, to the cusp of wearing India's the approach to T20s and facing the red-ball are completely different, Sai Sudharsan has shown the technical foundation and temperament required to succeed in the longer format. His IPL 2025 performance, where he racked up 759 runs at an average of 54.21 with a strike rate above 150, showcased not just flair but also his ability to construct an innings under pressure—an essential trait for a Test formed the tournament's most prolific partnership with captain Shubman Gill. While the Titans' campaign ended in heartbreak with a 20-run loss to Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator, Sudharsan's form and focus remained transition from T20 to Test cricket is often daunting, but Sudharsan appears prepared. 'I think I played seven games, so it gave me great experience, to be honest. It improved my batting multiple-fold in terms of technique and basics. The most important lesson I have learned is that basics are the most important thing in batting, so I think it should help me,' he explained, reflecting on his county stint with Surrey.'I think it is all about mindset and decision-making. So, definitely, after a long three months of white-ball tournaments, certain things would have changed in your batting. I think focusing more on basics and bringing those back to red-ball cricket will take some time. I think we will have some good time before the series starts,' he Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene praised the youngster's temperament but acknowledged the challenges ahead. 'I have enjoyed his batting. I have to be honest, he is a good lefty, plays good cricketing shots, and has a good head on his shoulders as well. So, I am sure he will do well. It will be a challenge in England, like we have all done in the past, but I think he will find a way to do what he needs to do in England, and I am pretty sure that he is a very talented cricketer,' said red-ball record backs the promise: 26 first class matches with 1,764 runs at an average of 40.09, featuring six centuries and five half-centuries. Combined with his IPL consistency and county experience, he brings a blend of adaptability and discipline that suits the demands of Test about potential T20I selection after a standout IPL season, Sudharsan stayed focused. 'I mean playing for the country is obviously a dream for everybody, so I would love to do that, but I am not thinking on those lines because if you see about the season, I have a lot of things to improve as a T20 batter.'He added, 'There are so many facets of the game or so many sectors I should improve when I play T20 again, so I am focusing more on that. Of course, when I get an opportunity, I will give my best for the country.'Sudharsan's personal success this IPL may not have been enough to carry Gujarat Titans all the way, but it has given Indian cricket a new Test hopeful—possibly the one who will walk out with Gill in the English summer, leading a team that's ready for a new chapter.
