IPL 2023 Final: Sai Sudarshan showed glimpses of greatness during his 96 against CSK

Tamil Nadu-born top-order Left-handed batter Sai Sudarshan chose to play his best inning in the IPL 2023 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium last night. He showed exceptional composure and exemplary skills with the bat to play his best-ever IPL inning of 96 off 47 deliveries.

There was a sense of co-incidence behind his emphatic knock. Firstly Sai Sudarshan was playing at his team GT’s home ground in the Indian Premier League and that too against a team that comes from the state he was born – Tamil Nadu.

Rashid Khan said in GT Podcast that Sai Sudarshan is next big thing in Indian Cricket. Now Sai proved him right by hitting 96(47) ball with 8 fours and 6 big Sixes in the big stage of IPL final. What an absolute star he is 🔥🔥#CSKvGT #IPL2023Finalspic.twitter.com/0Pavd6NP2G

— Asheesh (@Asheesh00007) May 29, 2023

Sudarshan being a Tamil Nadu lad, grew up supporting the Chennai Super Kings, and little did he know that he will be facing his beloved franchise in an IPL Final. The 20-year-old made his debut in IPL last year for the Gujarat Titans and has lived up to the tag he has been put off being the next big player from Tamil Nadu.

Last year he played 5 matches and scored 145 runs including a Fifty. But this year he has drastically improved. In 8 matches he scored 362 runs including 3 half-centuries. Sudarshan showed a terrific approach after starting out a little slow.

Sai Sudarsan said MS Dhoni kept on advising him how to play the CSK spinners

“MSD was continuously motivating me from behind the wickets. He was telling me how to face the spinners. Credit goes to him for my 96 runs tonight” ~ Sai Sudarshan. pic.twitter.com/IYmThVn17l

— Un-Lucky  (@Luckyytweets) May 29, 2023

There was noise around the park if he was going to get substituted because he was on 10 runs off 12. But later on he accelerated very well. Before getting LBW on Matheesha Patheerana, Sudarshan 8 Fours and 6 Sixes and batted at a strike rate of 204.

He did exactly what GT management had thought of after Shubman Gill departed for 39 off 20. Sudarshan’s temperament is why the Titans managed to put up 214 runs which was reduced to 171 in the 2nd innings according to Duck worth lewis method.

Eventually, Hardik Pandya’s side ended up on the losing side as the Chennai Super Kings under the captaincy of MS Dhoni won their 5th IPL title. Had GT won we would have seen Sai Sudarshan become the man of the Finale instead of Devon Conway.

But regardless, IPL has given another big hitting option for team India and Sai Sudarshan will be a huge force and match winner in the years to come.