Sai Sudharsan has excelled in becoming a reliable top-order choice for Gujarat Titans. The unfortunate knee injury that forced Kane Williamson out of the competition without even getting to bat for GT has led the left-hander from Tamil Nadu, who made his IPL debut last year, to put his hand up to stake claim to the No. 3 position.
Hardik Pandya said, the way Sai Sudarshan is playing, you will see him playing for India in next 1 or 2 years.#IPL2023 #DCvsGT #GujaratTitans pic.twitter.com/y94O0FNBDS
— Slayer (@pervy_slayer) April 5, 2023
Obviously, Sudharsan’s success at No. 3 gave the GT management the assurance they needed to select Dasun Shanaka, a finisher, to take Williamson’s position.
In the IPL 2023 opener against Chennai Super Kings, Sudharsan—who had been added as an Impact Player—looked excellent for his 22-run knock but was eventually bowled out by Rajvardhan Hangargekar. He was determined not to let his strong start against Delhi Capitals in the following game go to naught.
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 ⭐
Sai Sudarshan is a star from #tamilnadupremierleague
He was sold to Lyca Kovai Kings for a whopping Rs 21.6 Lakh in TNPL auctions this year! This is actually more than what Gujarat Titans bought him at #iplauction which was 20 Lakh pic.twitter.com/XPPygopAXY
— Fanatikk (@Fanatikkind) April 4, 2023
He helped GT get home in 18.1 overs and move to the summit of the standings by staying unbeaten on 62 off 48 balls. Hardik Pandya, the skipper of GT, was all praise for the young left-hander following the game. In the upcoming years, Sudharsan can play for India, according to Pandya.
“He (Sai Sudharsan) has been batting terrifically. Credit to the support staff and to him as well. The amount of batting he’s done in the last 15 days, all the result you see is all his hard work. Going forward, if I’m not wrong, in two years, he’ll do something great for franchise cricket and eventually for India cricket as well.” – said Hardik Pandya.
Sai Sudarshan deserves appreciation from all cricket fans! 🫶🏽🙌🏽 pic.twitter.com/hisBDyAhjj
— Dennis🕸 (@DenissForReal) April 4, 2023
After GT lost openers Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha, and skipper Hardik Pandya in rapid succession, Sudharsan dug deep to chase down 162 for the win on a Kotla track that was occasionally playing tricks. Together with Impact Player Vijay Shankar (29), he created a pivotal 53-run stand that restarted the reigning champion’s chase.
When the latter failed, Sudharsan had the assistance of David Miller, a man with a wealth of experience, who prevented the child from feeling the burden of the asking price.