B Sai Sudharsan broke away from the mould of anchor with a brilliantly crafted hundred against Chennai Super Kings, and the "calm under pressure" demeanour of the Gujarat Titans' opener has left stalwarts Graeme Smith and Tom Moody impressed.
Till the match on Friday, Sudharsan struck runs at a moderate strike rate of 131.67 while coming at No. 3, but the promotion to the opener's slot seemed to have liberated him.
Against CSK, the Tamil Nadu left-hander made 103 off 51 balls (5x4s, 7x6s) and his strike-rate read 201.96.
Smith said Sudharsan should be given more opportunities.
"Sudharsan is so under the radar, he is the leading run-scorer for GT this season, the fastest Indian to a thousand IPL runs with a difference of six innings. He needs to start being spoken about a bit more," said Smith on JIO Cinema.
Former Australian all-rounder and a revered coach Tom Moody praised Sudharsan for maintaining his composure in the match against a tough opponent.
"The way this young player goes about his business is a joy to watch. He seems so calm under pressure. He seems to have the right answers at the right time.
"He knows when to go big to look for that boundary to take pressure out of an over and he seems to be able to keep pace with the game," Moody told Star Sports Cricket Live show.
Former South Africa skipper Smith lauded the partnership between Sudharsan and Shubman Gill that was worth 210 runs, joint highest for the opening wicket this season.
"The partnership was excellent, left-hand-right-hand combination, they ran between the wickets well; they picked their targets, and their matchups were just outstanding," he added.
Moody also underscored the importance of the alliance between Gill and Sudharsan.
"The partnership was nothing short of extraordinary. They complemented each other exceptionally well, evident in their visible enjoyment on the field, as Gill expressed during the post-match presentation.
"This camaraderie is crucial for any backing and partnership," added Moody.
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