Young opener Sai Sudharsan had a superlative debut for Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2022 in their last fixture against Punjab Kings (PBKS). While Rahul Tewatia hogged all the limelight with two consecutive sixes in the last two balls to win the match, Sudarshan played a crucial hand alongside Shubman Gill to keep Gujarat in the game.
With all-rounder Vijay Shankar struggling to out runs under his belt, doors opener for the 20-year-old left-handed batter. And he grabbed the opportunity with both hands, scoring 35 off 30 balls, including four boundaries and six.
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The southpaw played the second fiddle as Shubman Gill toiled with the bowlers from the other end. However, Sai Sudharsan can shift the gears if required. As he strives for consistency, we dive deep into the details of his background that might be unknown to many.
3 unknown facts about Gujarat Titans superstar Sai Sudharsan
3. Comes from a sporting background
Hailing from Chennai, Sai Sudharsan comes from a heavy sporting background with both of his parents involved in sports. His father Bharadwaj is an international athlete who represented India at the South Asian (SAF) Games in Dhaka, while his mother Usha Bharadwaj represented Tamil Nadu in volleyball.
They have always supported Sudarshan to pursue the sport and have been one of his biggest motivators. The youngster has belted runs in the age-group cricket and league cricket in Chennai. He also played for India A in the U19 Challenger Trophy.
2. Stellar record in Tamil Nadu Premier League
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After warming the benches in the first season, Sai Sudharsan got to play his first game in the 2021 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League. He immediately made a mark with 87 off 43 balls against a Salem Spartans attack led by G Periyaswamy, T Natarajan and Murugan Ashwin.
The southpaw milked 358 runs in eight innings at an average of 71.60 and strike rate of 143.77 to finish as the second-highest run-scorer in that season. On the back of an impressive run in the T20 competition, he was fastracked to Tamil Nadu’s senior state team.
3. Averages over 35 in T20 cricket
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Although new to senior cricket, the 20-year-old cricketer has already made his presence felt in the shortest format. Sai Sudharsan has made a place for himself amid the heavy Tamil Nadu batting unit that boasts the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Baba Aparajith, Dinesh Karthik and N Jagadeeshan.
He has scored 217 runs in eight games at an average of 36.16, with a strike rate of 119.23. Sai can also bowl a bit of leg-spin and can be used as and when necessary.
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