Sai Sudharsan has improved his strike rate by more than 10 points this season.
Much has been talked about India’s Test tour against England, right from the captaincy to the No.4 position in the batting line-up. Meanwhile, an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 star has tiptoed into the India A squad and might be on his way to enter the Playing XI sheet. Last season, Sai Sudharsan was sixth on the Orange Cap list with 527 runs in 12 innings. Scoring the 101st century of IPL history, the Gujarat Titans’ (GT) batter put his name on the record books with a 51-ball 103 against Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad. But his hunger for making runs has entertained the fans this season, too.
Speaking about his batting techniques, not much has changed as Sudharsan spoke to The Indian Express in an exclusive interview, “Last year, in certain innings, I was a bit slow. The pitches that we played also were a bit different to the others. And even the team situation was such that there were no great starts. We kept losing wickets and I wasn’t able to give good starts. I was slow to get off the block. I realised that I’d have to push myself more; be a bit more explosive. So I went home and worked on the mindset of it.”
The 23-year-old batter worked smartly instead of making too many changes. He was determined to do well with a better mindset instead.
“I didn’t change anything with my batting, but just brought more clarity. I wanted to bring the explosive element very early in the innings. If I could do it later, I could definitely do it at the beginning as well from ball one. From there on, I practised with these thoughts in mind,” he stated.
The Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024, which took place shortly after IPL 2024, played a role in Sudharsan’s development. He began incorporating a more aggressive edge into his batting. Playing for Lyca Kovai Knights (LKK), the left-handed batter made 238 runs in seven matches with a top score of an unbeaten 123.
“The idea to be a bit more positive started at the TNPL. Even before last season’s IPL was done, I remember asking myself how we should play next year and what should I do to take my batting forward. I definitely had ideas to add more elements to my batting. I wanted to see what it brings to my game. The mindset had to change. When the TNPL happened, it didn’t start well, but by the end I was able to see the difference. Unless you go through that grind and test yourself, you don’t know the ceiling you can reach,” he explained.
Additionally, Sudharsan transitioned from floating within the top order to firmly establishing himself as an opener, a move he discussed closely with his teammates, skipper Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler.
“In terms of the mindset and how to take the game deep, I did have conversations with Jos and Gill because I’d not opened a lot in the IPL. This is the first time I’ve started as an opener — so wanted to know how one has to transition from powerplay to the middle overs and beyond,” he expressed.
ALSO READ:
Sai Sudharsan is enjoying another standout season with the Gujarat Titans, currently topping their run-scoring charts with 509 runs from 11 innings. His strike rate of 153.31 marks a significant jump from last season’s 141.28. Currently, he’s one run behind the Orange Cap holder, Suryakumar Yadav. Shubman Gill (508), and Virat Kohli (505) follow him closely. But Sudharsan is not looking at the numbers.
“It always feels great for sure to be in a race with such great players. But I am not thinking about it. I am thinking of it as a by-product to the things I’m doing right. Of course, the desire and hunger to get it is there for sure. But at the same time, that is not the main priority. The priority is to do the best for the team and if you get this while doing so, I would take it with both my hands,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, GT are just one win away from securing a spot in the playoffs. They hold 16 points from 11 games. They will face the Delhi Capitals tomorrow in an away fixture.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram, and YouTube.
