Every young cricketer needs a mentor who gives them permission to fail without fear. For Sudharsan, that person is India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir.
Despite a modest Test average of 30.33 after five matches, Sudharsan says Gambhir’s belief in him has been unwavering.
“To be honest, support was impeccable. I can give an anecdote. We were practicing in Ferozsha Kotla (ahead of the 2nd Test against the West Indies).
“I was the last to nets, and GG sir called me and said: ‘Don’t get desperate, you are here because of so many reasons, you are one of the best players in the country.’”
“He told me, ‘You will play,’ and the way he told that to me gave me so much confidence and so much freedom.”
Those words, Sudharsan admits, changed his mindset.
“I was trying to be more free, trying not to think about all the external factors and the magnitude, but when you hear it from the head coach, you suddenly get that freedom, the perspective and the environment change drastically.”