Mumbai: IPL 2025 is turning out to a happy hunting ground again for Tamil Nadu opener Sai Sudharshan . Opening the innings with captain Shubman Gill for the Gujarat Titans , the left-hander has amassed 186 runs in three matches@62.00, with a strike rate of 157, and is the second highest run-getter of the season so far. Clearly, the 23-year-old loves the GT environment, which brings out the best in him. In his last seven IPL innings, Sudharshan's scores have been: 65 (39) vs DC, 84 (49) vs RCB, 6 (14) vs RCB, 103 (51)-all in IPL-2024, and 74 (41b) vs PBKS, 63 (41b) vs MI & 49 (36b) vs RCB in 2025.
Excerpts:
Wriddhiman Saha and Gill opened earlier when you batted at No 3, but now you're opening for GT. Which position suits you and why?
I feel anybody would love to open the innings in T20 cricket. I feel you have a little bit more time and if you think from overs point of view, I feel I am enjoying opening now.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
There's a bit of a logjam at the top with so many contenders in white ball cricket for India. How does that competition make you feel?
Everybody knows, India has great talent and there are quality openers and top-order batters as you rightly mentioned but I feel I focus on myself and try to improve whatever skills I can improve to be a better batter of my own version so that whenever I get an opportunity, whenever I play for the country I'll be equipped for that. Right now, I'm not thinking about how to break that competition and everything. I am trying to give my best for the team, and I feel that hopefully playing for the country and doing all for the country will come as a by-product.
Which batter or left-hander have you moulded your game on?
I would say of late, I've been watching a lot of Murali Vijay's videos and I'm trying to get that feeling out of it because I love the way he moves and the way he bats.
Do you set goals for yourself for the season like so many runs at a particular strike rate?
I don't keep a lot of personal milestones or personal goals when I come into a tournament. My only intention every game is getting the two points whenever we go and play for the team. Obviously, everybody loves to score runs, as a batter we have to score runs. But I feel if you try and look at it from the team's point of view you’re eventually going to get runs and that becomes a by-product and you make the team win as well.
You were bought for Rs 20 lakh in 2022 and retained before this IPL for Rs 8.5 crores. How does that motivate you or does that price unnerve you?
That's a good question, but I feel I look at it in a different way. These three years as you rightly mentioned I was in a price bracket and now I'm in a different price bracket. I feel that gives me more freedom because there is no fear or there is no restriction from my point of view because I feel it's all about cricket from now on. It's all about expressing what I want to do. It's all about exploring and giving my best for the team rather than thinking about what will I do to earn money. So, I feel that part of my life has been taken care of. At the same time. It gives me a lot of freedom and you know, it gives me more confidence that I can improve, I can focus more on cricket and I can explore a lot of new things.
You played for Surrey, are you looking at a county contract this year too?
Hopefully, I would love to play a few more games there and let's see how it goes
With India due to tour England, could the county stint to be worthwhile?
It will definitely be a big impact on my batting and it has been a big impact because of the previous encounters I've had there. I think I've got exposed to a lot of difficult fast bowling conditions, swinging conditions. So, I feel that has helped me to improve as a batter and that has given me a lot of learnings which I've not learnt in the past.
You belted a 47-ball 97 in 2023 final versus the Chennai Super Kings and the next year you got a 100 versus them. What is it about CSK that brings out the best in you?
I don't want to jinx it but I feel, after GT I also have a special connection with CSK because I'm from Chennai, we all, whenever we were young we all looked up to CSK and the energy is something different. I just would love, especially when it is a GT vs CSK game, to share or have a great experience because I just want to play more part in that game because I feel that is one of my important games.
You are the fastest Indian to 1000 IPL runs. Are there any other batting records that you wish to have next in your name?
I mean, the most number of runs in the IPL, I would love to have that. But right now it's all about making the team win and taking baby steps and going for the win.
How has it been playing aside former England captain Jos Buttler?
It's actually been really exciting for me because the amount of experience, the amount of knowledge he brings in, I feel that it is helping me to, you know, even reassure my thoughts and my mindset when I'm playing in there. Sometimes when I have a conversation with Joss inside the ground I feel when he also agrees to it or when he also gives the right point I feel I'm also getting to learn a lot of things from him because the amount of knowledge and experience he has is impeccable.
Excerpts:
Wriddhiman Saha and Gill opened earlier when you batted at No 3, but now you're opening for GT. Which position suits you and why?
I feel anybody would love to open the innings in T20 cricket. I feel you have a little bit more time and if you think from overs point of view, I feel I am enjoying opening now.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
There's a bit of a logjam at the top with so many contenders in white ball cricket for India. How does that competition make you feel?
Everybody knows, India has great talent and there are quality openers and top-order batters as you rightly mentioned but I feel I focus on myself and try to improve whatever skills I can improve to be a better batter of my own version so that whenever I get an opportunity, whenever I play for the country I'll be equipped for that. Right now, I'm not thinking about how to break that competition and everything. I am trying to give my best for the team, and I feel that hopefully playing for the country and doing all for the country will come as a by-product.
Which batter or left-hander have you moulded your game on?
I would say of late, I've been watching a lot of Murali Vijay's videos and I'm trying to get that feeling out of it because I love the way he moves and the way he bats.
Do you set goals for yourself for the season like so many runs at a particular strike rate?
I don't keep a lot of personal milestones or personal goals when I come into a tournament. My only intention every game is getting the two points whenever we go and play for the team. Obviously, everybody loves to score runs, as a batter we have to score runs. But I feel if you try and look at it from the team's point of view you’re eventually going to get runs and that becomes a by-product and you make the team win as well.
You were bought for Rs 20 lakh in 2022 and retained before this IPL for Rs 8.5 crores. How does that motivate you or does that price unnerve you?
That's a good question, but I feel I look at it in a different way. These three years as you rightly mentioned I was in a price bracket and now I'm in a different price bracket. I feel that gives me more freedom because there is no fear or there is no restriction from my point of view because I feel it's all about cricket from now on. It's all about expressing what I want to do. It's all about exploring and giving my best for the team rather than thinking about what will I do to earn money. So, I feel that part of my life has been taken care of. At the same time. It gives me a lot of freedom and you know, it gives me more confidence that I can improve, I can focus more on cricket and I can explore a lot of new things.
You played for Surrey, are you looking at a county contract this year too?
Hopefully, I would love to play a few more games there and let's see how it goes
With India due to tour England, could the county stint to be worthwhile?
It will definitely be a big impact on my batting and it has been a big impact because of the previous encounters I've had there. I think I've got exposed to a lot of difficult fast bowling conditions, swinging conditions. So, I feel that has helped me to improve as a batter and that has given me a lot of learnings which I've not learnt in the past.
You belted a 47-ball 97 in 2023 final versus the Chennai Super Kings and the next year you got a 100 versus them. What is it about CSK that brings out the best in you?
I don't want to jinx it but I feel, after GT I also have a special connection with CSK because I'm from Chennai, we all, whenever we were young we all looked up to CSK and the energy is something different. I just would love, especially when it is a GT vs CSK game, to share or have a great experience because I just want to play more part in that game because I feel that is one of my important games.
You are the fastest Indian to 1000 IPL runs. Are there any other batting records that you wish to have next in your name?
I mean, the most number of runs in the IPL, I would love to have that. But right now it's all about making the team win and taking baby steps and going for the win.
How has it been playing aside former England captain Jos Buttler?
It's actually been really exciting for me because the amount of experience, the amount of knowledge he brings in, I feel that it is helping me to, you know, even reassure my thoughts and my mindset when I'm playing in there. Sometimes when I have a conversation with Joss inside the ground I feel when he also agrees to it or when he also gives the right point I feel I'm also getting to learn a lot of things from him because the amount of knowledge and experience he has is impeccable.
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