Young opener Sai Sudharsan credited his India and India A experiences for his ability to understand match situations better. The Gujarat batter came up with a match-winning knock in Gujarat’s 7-wicket victory over Hyderabad in their 3rd IPL 2024 match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 31.
Sudharshan and David Miller stitched a crucial 66-run partnership for the 3rd wicket in just 42 balls as they anchored what looked a tricky chase of 163 on a two-paced pitch in Ahmedabad. The Tamil Nadu batter did not panic under pressure as he focussed on keeping the scoreboard moving before launching into Mayank Markande in the 16th over, which cost SunRisers 24 runs.
as they rode on Sudharsan and David Miller’s controlled knocks after a sensational bowling show from Mohit Sharma and their Afghanistan spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed.
Sai Sudharsan has hit 127 runs at a strike rate of 119.81, but the young batter has chipped in with crucial contributions on tricky pitches in Gujarat this season. It was the IPL 2023 season that brought Sudharsan to the limelight as he hit 362 runs, including a valiant 96 in the final.
IPL 2024, GT vs SRH: Highlights|
“I feel playing more games, playing for the country, playing a few A games, it has given more maturity about how to go about things and handle different situations. Those things, compared to last year, I feel more responsible and side by side. My skill is also getting better because I am getting exposed to difficult conditions and the international level,” Sai Sudharsan told the press after Gujarat’s win on Sunday.
“I believe it’s about taking decision. For every format, the need to take decision changes, accoding to the format and the conditons. Whether it’s a Test game or an ODI game or a T20I game, it’s all about taking risks at the right time. And preparation is more often similar for all 3 formats. Whenever I come inside a tournament, I plan and prepare accordingly,” he added.
‘NOT AN EASY PITCH’
Sai Sudharsan has been a regular feature in India A squads and the young batter got his opportunity to bag his maiden India cap in their tour of South Africa last year. Sudharsan impressed early, hitting 2 fifties in the 3-match ODi series.
Speaking about the tricky nature of the pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Sai Sudharsan said it was important for Gujarat to keep wickets in hands and not worry too much about the asking rate as he flaunted his improved understanding of the game.
“Definitely it was a difficult wicket to bat on, where you can’t go after every bowler in ever over. It’s about choosing the right bowler. It’s about keeping wickets in hand. It’s all about the situation, when the team needs more run rate, obviously we need to step up. But today, it was a different scenario. I think taking the game deep and keeping wickets in hand helped us today,” he added.
