Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan lauded Young Indian sensation Sai Sudharsan as a long-term prospect for the Indian team after his sensational debut for the Men in Blue against South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series on Sunday.
Sai Sudharsan has been busy in 2023, beginning with a successful Indian Premier League (IPL) season for the Gujarat Titans (GT). Following Kane Williamson’s injury, he played a huge role for the team, scoring 362 runs in eight innings at an average of 51.71. He then played for India A in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup and for Surrey in county cricket followed by domestic cricket for the Tamil Nadu team.
During an interview with Star Sports, Irfan Pathan stated that India has a player in Sai Sudharshan who can represent the country for the next 10 to 15 years given his outstanding start to his international career, and he praised him for his incredible technical batting skills against the quality South African pace attack.
“If someone bats like this on a South African pitch, you feel you have found someone who can play for the Indian team for the next 10-15 years. It is very early but still an exceptional start. The first four came off the first ball. So he started extremely well.”
“When you see him bat, he stays upright, plays the short ball well, uses his feet well, plays fast bowling and spin equally well off both the front and back foot, brings the sweep shot out, and then dances down the track to generate pace if a fast bowler doesn’t have the pace. So it seems like he is extremely mature,” Irfan Pathan said
Sai Sudharsan had a memorable debut for India, remaining undefeated on 55* to help the Men in Blue easily win the first game. He has handled difficult situations and conditions, and he has even demonstrated his adaptability to excel in foreign conditions.
Sai Sudharsan Has Got A Chance To Play In Different Places And Positions – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan believes that Sai Sudharsan has gotten a lot of experience playing domestic cricket and the IPL, where he performed exceedingly well for his side, and that he has had the opportunity to play in a variety of conditions at a young age, which has helped him to perform for the Indian team at the highest level.
“His List A career has been fantastic, he has an average of over 60. Secondly, he has done very well in the IPL. Thirdly, he has just come after playing county cricket. When you combine all these things, at such a young age, he has got a chance to play in different places and positions and made the most of it,” Irfan Pathan added.
Aside from his outstanding IPL season, he was a prominent run-scorer at the Emerging Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. His county stint with Surrey was equally noteworthy since he scored 116 runs in three innings. He has shown a good ability to deal with pace and spin and could be keen to put up a good show for the Indian team if provided the opportunity.
