New Delhi, May 19
Former India cricketer and JioStar expert Sanjay Bangar heaped praise on Sai Sudharsan following the left-hander's match-winning century against Delhi Capitals (DC), lauding his composure and intelligent shot selection in the shortest format.
Sudharsan remained unbeaten on 108 off just 61 deliveries, an innings laced with twelve boundaries and four sixes, as he guided Gujarat Titans (GT) to a dominant 10-wicket win. Chasing a daunting 200-run target, GT got home with an over to spare at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, thanks largely to the southpaw's masterclass.
Speaking on JioHotstar, Bangar highlighted the technical maturity Sudharsan brings to the crease, even in the high-pressure T20 format.
"What I really like about Sai Sudharsan's batting--even in this format--is the control he shows," Bangar noted.
"When he looks to hit, the top hand does a lot of the work, and the ball often bounces close to him, whether he's playing in front or square of the wicket," he added.
Bangar also emphasized the difficulty of maintaining such restraint during the powerplay, something Sudharsan has handled with remarkable clarity.
"It's tough to show that kind of restraint in the first six overs, but once he gets through them, he opens up and plays lofted shots with equal assurance," Bangar added.
"His wagon wheel showed runs across all regions--he doesn't rely on just one scoring area. That's been a hallmark of his batting, and he's delivering these performances consistently now," he noted.
Sudharsan is at the top with 617 runs in 12 matches, with five fifties and a hundred.
Recapping the match, the GT skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field.
After DC lost Faf Du Plessis early, a 90-run stand between KL Rahul and Abishek Porel (30 in 19 balls, with a four and three sixes) and cameos from skipper Axar Patel (25 in 16 balls, with two fours and a six) and Tristan Stubbs (21* in 10 balls, with two sixes) helped DC reach 199/3. KL had a solid 45-run stand for the third wicket and a 48-run stand for the fourth wicket with Axar and Stubbs, respectively.
Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, and Arshad Khan each got a wicket.
However, DC's bowling struggled against ultra-consistent Shubman Gill (93* in 53 balls, with three fours and seven sixes) and Sai Sudharsan (108* in just 61 balls, with 12 fours and four sixes). They put on a dominant 205 run partnership, helping GT win with an over left.
— ANI
Reader Comments
What an innings by Sai Sudharsan! 🇮🇳 His ability to pace his innings while maintaining a high strike rate is incredible. The way he rotates strike and then punishes loose deliveries shows his maturity beyond years. Future of Indian cricket is in safe hands!
Bangar saab is absolutely right about his controlled aggression. Unlike many young players who just swing wildly, Sudharsan plays proper cricketing shots. Reminds me of young Kohli's approach. Hope BCCI gives him chances in T20Is soon!
While Sudharsan was brilliant, let's not forget Shubman Gill's contribution. 93* at 175 SR is no joke! These two are forming a deadly combo for GT. But DC's bowling was toothless - no plan, no variations. Pant needs to rethink strategies.
As a Chennai fan, I'm jealous! 😄 We let go of this talent and now he's destroying every bowling attack. That cover drive of his is pure poetry! Hope he continues this form and gets into the national team. India needs such technically sound players in T20s.
The best part? He's not a one-season wonder. Consistent performances across formats. Remember his Test debut century in England! This boy has the temperament for big stages. Selectors, please don't ignore him like you did with many domestic performers earlier.
Beautiful to watch but I hope he doesn't get overhyped too soon. We've seen many IPL stars struggle at international level. Let him develop naturally without putting "next Kohli/Dhoni" pressure. That said, his footwork against spinners is textbook perfect!
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