Kane Williamson’s injury gave him the opportunity, and B Sai Sudharsan put in the effort to make the most of it.
He hooked Kagiso Rabada over the boundary on his IPL debut last year. He beat the wicketkeeper on Tuesday by scooping a 144 kph ball from Anrich Nortje off the stumps for six, and he then led Gujarat Titans to victory in the chase. Despite the fact that B Sai Sudharsan, 21, is just seven matches into his IPL career, he already has a unique quality.
When he had just participated in one TNPL game in 2021, R Ashwin wanted him to be quickly incorporated into the Tamil Nadu team. Sai Sudharsan was acquired by Titans for IPL 2022 at his base price of INR 20 lakh after the TNPL season, during which he amassed 358 runs in eight innings with a strike rate of little under 144. Then, despite a promising beginning to his IPL career, he only received five games in the previous season.
Together with his opening partner N Jagadeesan, Sai Sudharsan made a comeback to domestic cricket and set new List A records. He wasn’t a likely starter for the Titans this season, however, as Kane Williamson was inserted at No. 3 for the campaign’s first match against the Chennai Super Kings. Sai Sudharsan, who was the impact player during the chase after Williamson was hurt while fielding, provided 22 off of 17 balls. He was in the starting Eleven for Titans’ second game against Delhi Capitals, and his match-winning 62 off 48 balls solidified his position at No. 3 in the lineup.
On the powerplay, Nortje had bowled Wriddhiman Saha and Shubman Gill with lightning-quick pace, but Sai Sudharsan seemed to have that extra fraction of a second to adjust. Washington Sundar, a senior at Tamil Nadu University and a boyhood buddy, often gets an additional millisecond to play his shots. Sai Sudharsan’s goal is to quickly move from local cricket and the IPL to international play, following in the footsteps of Washington. In around two years, according to his Titans captain Hardik Pandya, he can advance.
After the game against the Caps, Hardik praised Sai Sudharsan’s recent batting performance. “He deserves praise, as well as the helpers. Given how much batting he has done over the last 15 days, you can see the fruits of his labor, and if I’m not mistaken, in two years he will do something really outstanding in franchise cricket and hopefully for Indian cricket as well.”
B Sai Sudharsan, who was purchased for his base price in the IPL 2022 auction, was the highest-paid player in the 2023 TNPL auction’s first round of bidding.
B Sai Sudharsan, who was purchased for his base price in the IPL 2022 auction, was the highest-paid player in the first TNPL auction in 2023.ESPNcricinfo Ltd.
Sai Sudharsan considered his strike against the Caps to be among his greatest. That was a challenging scenario, but we responded to the challenge, he remarked, calling it one of his greatest performances to date. This was one of my finest innings in domestic cricket since we helped the team win.
He has improved his game by adding more power and is particularly skilled against spin. That was evident during his 20-ball 42 in a chase in Hyderabad in December, when he struck a six and broke a seat in the stands.
Because of the confidence we gained after winning the IPL, Sai Sudharsan said that “it [the confidence] truly began from previous IPL.” “It really aided in my improvement and even helped me get ready for the domestic season. Coming into the IPL, I believe the domestic season has given me a tremendous deal of confidence. We also had two little camps and a terrific ten-day preparation period, all of which were very beneficial to me.”
In order to make a shot, Sai Sudharsan jumps into the air.
In order to make a shot, Sai Sudharsan jumps into the air.
•BCCI
Sai Sudharsan’s work ethic has been attested to by many who have watched his development in Chennai’s cricket circles. He was Yashasvi Jaiswal’s Under-19 classmate, and during those years, he didn’t take fitness very seriously, which caused him to fall in the standings. He did, however, lose weight and become in better condition during the Covid-induced lockout in 2020–2021. His mother Usha, a former volleyball player who served as a strength and conditioning coach for the Tamil Nadu cricket team, and his former athletic parents Bharadwaj and Usha have helped him develop a new appreciation for physical fitness. On the field and while dashing between the wickets, Sai Sudharsan is now more nimble. He has also benefited from sticking to a tight food regimen.
Before the IPL 2023, Jagadeesan stated ESPNcricinfo, “The sort of work ethic that Sai Su possesses, it encourages me.” “When I claim that my work ethic is excellent, and I see Sai Su’s work ethic, I have a sneaking suspicion that he is working harder than I am, and maybe this is what it takes to succeed. It was absolutely lovely to see him play, especially with the way he was hitting and moving around the field. Simply put, it was poetry in action. He gives me hope. As soon as we entered the field, we always had an open conversation about how we should react to the bowling. We then began to speak a lot about cricket.”
Sai Sudharsan is just 21 years old, yet he has already won the IPL, Syed Mushtaq Ali, and TNPL championships. He won a deal for INR 21.60 lakh in the first TNPL auction in February of this year, surpassing the INR 20 lakh of his IPL contract. He was selected Tamil Nadu’s vice-captain in his rookie season and earned the Player-of-the-Match award on his Ranji Trophy debut in December of last year. Sai Sudharsan is now prepared for the spotlight after taking home the Player-of-the-Match trophy against the Caps in the IPL.
