Amid all the clatter over Shubman Gill’s breathtaking knocks, another youngster has been doing his job quietly for the Gujarat Titans.
B. Sai Sudharsan has made only seven appearances in this IPL. But he has certainly been able to make his share of the contribution batting at No.3, as his numbers (266 runs, averaging 44.33 at a strike rate of 127.27) reflect.
The 21-year-old left-hander hit two half-centuries with an unbeaten 62 against Delhi Capitals at the Kotla being his highest. But what also stood out was his game awareness in back-to-back century-plus partnerships with Gill — against Sunrisers Hyderabad (147) in the league phase and Mumbai Indians (148) in Friday’s Qualifier 2 (both in Ahmedabad) — which were both crucial games.
“Well, his game awareness obviously stood out during the two hundred-plus stands. He played the second fiddle’s role to perfection.
“What happens sometimes is that looking at the main aggressor during a big partnership, the other batsman also tries to take chances and even surpass his partner. Or, sometimes he tends to score so slowly that the tempo and rhythm of the partnership get affected. But this guy (Sudharsan) has balanced it really well,” former India opener and ex-coach of Bengal and Tamil Nadu, WV Raman, told The Telegraph on Saturday.
Both Gill and Sudharsan seem to have fine understanding between themselves as earlier, the duo had also forged a 67-run stand against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Motera.
Road ahead
Sudharsan deserves credit for translating his Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) success into the games he has played so far at the senior level, both for Tamil Nadu and his IPL franchise. Fitness, too, has been integral to his progress.
“When I first saw Sudharsan, he was only 15 and quite chubby. His mother is a trainer, so she in particular put in a lot of effort to make him fitter,” Divakar Basu, a former Tamil Nadu coach, said.
Sudharsan’s averages so far in first-class (47.66) and List A (60.36) cricket from seven and 11 appearances, respectively, are indeed impressive. But to take his game to the next level, he should focus more on the Deodhar Trophy and then the Ranji Trophy, feels current Tamil Nadu coach Sulakshan Kulkarni.
“I did notice that hunger in him when I spoke to the players individually (in Chennai) in March,” Kulkarni said.
