SA vs IND: Sai Sudharsan ‘lost for words’ after maiden India call-up for South Africa ODIs
The 22-year-old left-handed opening batter has had a meteoric rise in the last two years. Sai became a household name earlier this year with impressive performances for Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
Published : Nov 30, 2023 22:34 IST , CHENNAI - 2 MINS READ
FILE PHOTO: Tamil Nadu’s Sai Sudharsan in action. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
B. Sai Sudharsan, one of the most exciting talents to come through from Tamil Nadu in recent times, got his big break on Thursday after being selected as part of the Indian one-day international team for the tour to South Africa later this month.
The 22-year-old left-handed opening batter has had a meteoric rise in the last two years. Sai became a household name earlier this year with impressive performances for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, the highlight of which was the 94 in the final against Chennai Super Kings.
Currently, he is with the TN squad in Mumbai for the Vijay Hazare Trophy and has started the tournament well, scoring a match-winning 125 in the first game against Goa.
“It is a great feeling, and I am a bit lost for words. It is a dream come true for me, but at the same time, this is just the beginning, and there are many areas where I need to improve,” said Sai to Sportstar on Thursday.
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After missing out on the final year in under-19 cricket because of the pandemic in 2020, he has more than made up for it in the last two years. “I think the TNPL in 2021 and this year’s IPL have been some of the key moments in my career so far and helped me progress,” he remarked on his journey in the last few years.
After the IPL this year, he has been part of the Duleep Trophy, Deodhar Trophy, Irani Cup and the India A squad for the ACC Emerging Cup in Sri Lanka, where he scored an unbeaten century against Pakistan A.
In September, he debuted in the English county circuit and played two games for Surrey. He top-scored in both innings in his second game.
“I learnt a lot playing in all these tournaments, and the exposure it has given me has helped me improve as a batter. But my first goal is to just focus on my match tomorrow (Friday) against Punjab and help the team qualify for the knockouts,” said Sai before signing off.