India will resume to Test format on June 20 after a gap of six months.
Over the past month, there’s been plenty of talk about the absence of jersey Nos.18 and 45 in the Test lineup. While it’s bittersweet to move on, the wait is finally over. We’re only a few hours away from witnessing a historic transition in the Indian Test team. There are plenty of new faces who will take the field during the five-match England Test series beginning tomorrow in Leeds. While Karun Nair would be anticipating his long-awaited rebirth in whites, Sai Sudharsan will be dreaming of his maiden Test cap from his Indian Premier League (IPL) team skipper, Shubman Gill.
All eyes would be on the young skipper who will step into the Lions’ den to mark his first captaincy stint. The competition is fierce. What unfolds on English soil in the next month will set the tone for India’s Test team for years to come. Gill may be tempted to play his Gujarat Titans (GT) teammate in his old spot of No.3.
When you look at his First-Class (FC) stats of 1,957 in 49 innings, you won’t be convinced. He averages 39.93, but he has seven hundreds and five half-centuries under his belt. The Tamil Nadu batter has shown a wave of temperament, which most young prodigies seem to lack in modern-day cricket.
In the chill of October 2024, Sudharsan stood tall for Tamil Nadu while playing against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy clash. Opening the innings, Sudharsan hammered 213 off 274 balls. The maiden double century served as the perfect gift to himself, just a week after his 23rd birthday. He played a pivotal role in propelling Tamil Nadu to a commanding 379 for 1. Capitalising on the favourable batting conditions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the young blood was making a case ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
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In the IPL 2025, Sudharsan and Gill’s partnerships at the top not only covered up GT’s fragile middle order, but their shot-for-shot synergy left even the fiercest bowlers sweating. In the process. Sudharsan bagged the Orange Cap with 759 runs. His shot-making class amounted to 88 fours coming off his bat. Out of 15 innings, he scored below 35 only on three occasions, highlighting his consistency.
During his stint with Surrey in the County Championship Division One 2024, Sudharsan made headlines with a composed century against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. He crafted 105 off 176 deliveries, including 10 boundaries and a six, underlining his resilience across formats and conditions.
Gill and the Indian management are set for selection headaches during the English summer. They will face the challenge of picking the choicest talents from the 19-member squad. With both Sudharsan and Nair in the mix, it’s a dilemma worth having. Especially with Dhruv Jurel also being considered as a potential No.6.
The most fitting position for Sai Sudharsan would be No.3. With Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as openers, Sudharsan can continue the left-right combination alongside Gill at No.4. The fifth and sixth spots could be occupied by Rishabh Pant and Nair. Although the latter would be pushed a spot below his usual No.5 role, the move would add valuable experience to the RoKo-less batting line-up.
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