Gujarat Titans youngster Sai Sudharsan feels immensely grateful to play under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya as he gives the players the opportunity and the confidence to express themselves at the highest level. The Tamil Nadu opener played an outstanding knock against Chennai Super Kings in the final of IPL 2023 but ended up on the losing side.
Sudharsan played the anchor’s role to perfection for GT in the league stage matches. In Qualifier 2, he had a decent outing with the bat against Mumbai Indians before retiring himself in death overs and coming back all guns blazing in the grand final to smash 96 runs to help GT post 214/4.
Speaking to TOI, Sai Sudharsan is delighted to play under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, as he keeps everyone comfortable in the team and reckons that the Gujarat Titans skipper gave him the confidence to do the job for his team in crunch situations.
“A leader like Hardik Pandya is a boon. He gives you the platform and the confidence to express yourself. He makes you feel very comfortable in your skin, regardless of your performance on the day.
“Even in my last innings ( Qualifier 1), I missed a few balls that I ought to have connected. But he gave me the confidence that I can still hit the big ones and do the job for the team,” Sai Sudharsan said.
On Preparations for the IPL, Sai Sudharsan said that the entire preparation was done before the tournament, and the preseason camp is more about getting along with each other and about giving the role of clarity to each player in the team.
“The preparation was done entirely before the tournament, Ten days before IPL started, we had preparatory camps where we learned more about ourselves and got clarity on what our role in the team is going to be and how best we can contribute.”
Sai Sudharshan has been exceptional in domestic cricket for Tamil Nadu in 2022, doing brilliantly in all three formats of the game, and has carried on his form into the cash-rich league this season as he scored 362 runs in the eight matches he played in IPL 2023.
I Am Raring To Do Well There Again – Sai Sudharsan On TNPL 2023
Sai Sudharsan is excited to play in Tamil Nadu Premier League 2023, as he was picked into the IPL 2022 seeing his performance in TNPL, and also wanted to do well for his state in Ranji Trophy this season. The 21-year-old pivotal role in Lyca Kovai Kings winning the TNPL in the 2022 edition as he scored 336 runs at a strike rate of 140.58 in 10 games.
“It is the tournament that gave me a lot of accolades and made people sit up and notice me, “So I am raring to do well there again. ( On the Ranji Trophy) Unfortunately, we had a couple of bad games last season. I wish to make amends,” Sai Sudharsan concluded.
The Indian youngster made history during the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) auction on February 23. He because the most expensive player in the league after being signed by Lyca Kovai Kings for ₹21.6 lakh, which is more than his IPL salary.