Even though India has plethora of options for T20I batters, but then there is another batter from the IPL who is knocking the doors of the national side. Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan has come up with a few consistent seasons, and now perhaps needs to be given a longer rope in the Indian team, at least in white-ball cricket.
Back-to-back Fifties for Sai Sudharsan
On Saturday too, Sudharsan came up with a stunning innings of 63 from 41, at a strike-rate of 153, against MI, to move to the second spot in the list of Orange Cap holders. Thus far, he has 137 runs in two matches at a strike-rate of 167 and an average of 68. More importantly, he has scored two fifties in as many games, emerging as the best batter for GT.
𝐒𝐚𝐢 𝐒𝐮per start
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 29, 2025
Sai Sudharsan's second consecutive* keeps #GT in control
Updateshttps://t.co/lDF4SwnuVR #TATAIPL | #GTvMI | @gujarat_titans | @sais_1509 pic.twitter.com/2W0AGb8Y9T
But his excellent numbers extend to every season of the IPL, he has been a part of. Having made his league debut in IPL 2022, in five matches he scored 145 at an average of 36, and a strike-rate of 127. The following year, he bettered his performance with 362 runs at an average of 51, and a strike rate of 141, with three fifties.
Sudharsan vs Abhishek Sharma in IPL
Then come the 2024 season, in 12 matches, he came up with maiden IPL ton. Eventually he finished with 527 runs at an average of 47, and a strike rate of 141. Unfortunately Last year, just after the IPL 2024 he had managed to play one T20I for India vs Zimbabwe, but then of course Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma had consolidated their position at the top.
In fact, if one compares Abhishek’s numbers with that of Sudharsan, former just has a better strike-rate. For the record, in 2022, Abhishek averaged 30, in 2023 it was 20, in 2024 it rose to 32, and this year in IPL 2025 he has been unsuccessful with an average of 15 only. In turn, Sudharan’s last six innings in IPL read, 65, 84, 6, 103, 74 and 63.
