Will GT's 'clutch-man' Sai Sudharsan continue dominant IPL playoff run?
Dharamsala, May 26
For the fourth time in five years, Gujarat Titans are the Indian Premier League title hunt. Once again, it is their run-machine Sai Sudharsan who has kept defying an ever-evolving T20 landscape and produced magic for the Titans.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will have their task cut out against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Qualifier one, to get Sudharsan out. The left-hander boasts of a sensational record in IPL playoffs, showing his big match temperament.
In the IPL knockout stages, Sudharsan has produced 219 runs in three innings at an average of 73 and a strike rate of over 172, including two half-centuries. His best showing came against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 2023 final, where he announced his arrival on the grand stage with a 47-ball 96, though in a losing effort.
Against RCB, Sudharsan has made 265 runs in six innings at an average of 53.00 and a strike rate of 150.56, including a century and fifty each. His best score is 100.
This season, Sudharsan has made 638 runs in 14 matches and innings at an average of 49.07 and a strike rate of 157.92, including a century and seven fifties, with best score of 100. He has made five successive fifty-plus scores in past five matches.
Squads:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Squad: Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar(c), Jitesh Sharma(w), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam Dar, Philip Salt, Abhinandan Singh, Swapnil Singh, Jordan Cox, Kanishk Chouhan, Jacob Duffy, Richard Gleeson, Vicky Ostwal, Vihaan Malhotra, Mangesh Yadav, Satvik Deswal
Gujarat Titans Squad: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Arshad Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kumar Kushagra, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Shahrukh Khan, Ishant Sharma, Luke Wood, Ashok Sharma, Connor Esterhuizen, Gurnoor Brar, Manav Suthar, Jayant Yadav.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Wow, 5 consecutive fifty-plus scores? That's insane consistency even for international standards. Sudharsan's strike rotation ability is underrated. Hope the umpiring and pitch don't become issues as the knockout progresses—we've seen too many home-ground advantages in IPL playoffs.
Sudharsan vs Patidar tomorrow—both have been stellar. But let's be real, GT's batting relies heavily on him and Gill. If RCB gets both early, the middle order might struggle. Still, love seeing a young Indian talent dominate in high-pressure games! ये है असली खिलाड़ी 💪
Interesting stat: Sudharsan has a higher average in knockout games (73) than the group stage (49). That's the hallmark of a true big-match player. RCB's bowling attack—especially Hazlewood and Shepherd—will need to use short balls wisely. You can't bowl full to this guy in the powerplay.
I'm a RCB fan but I have to admit, Sai Sudharsan is a nightmare matchup for us. Remember his 100 against us last season? He just knows how to take our bowlers apart. But I'm hoping Venkatesh Iyer and Kohli can trump his knock with a big partnership 🤞
Respectfully, the article overhypes his 'clutch' tag a bit. Yes, he's been brilliant in 3 knockout games, but 3 innings is a small sample size.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.