Amidst the glitterati of Gills and Jaiswals, Sai Sudharsan makes his presence felt
For anyone who wasn't familiar with what Sai Sudharsan was all about, the first two deliveries he faced in international cricket were enough for an indication. A fuller delivery from Nandre Burger was met by Sudharsan with a giant stride in and was caressed through the covers for a boundary. He played the very next delivery right under his eyeline, showing how proficient he was with his defense.
While modern-day limited-overs batting has been swiftly moving towards bludgeoning the ball, Sai Sudharsan is like that gentle breeze that makes a traveler sit back and admire. Seldom does one find players these days whose defense makes one go 'Wow, that's worth watching again!'
Sudharsan might not have made his debut in the first place had the seniors not opted for a rest from the ODI series. However, the youngster made the opportunity count with back-to-back half-centuries and has thrown his hat in the ring, as gently as he plays his shots to score his truckload of runs.
Scoring runs for fun has been Sai Sudharsan's forte
Sai Sudharsan is well aware that the best way to keep knocking on the selectors' door is to break it with the sheer volume of runs. In 28 List A games, Sudharsan has scored a staggering 1396 runs at an outstanding average of 60.69 with six hundreds and as many half-centuries.
He made waves in domestic cricket during the 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy, scoring 610 runs for Tamil Nadu in just eight games at a mind-boggling average of 76.25 with three hundreds and two half-centuries. The next task for him was to replicate these performances for India A and he did that in his elegant style.
In five games at the ACC Men's Emerging Cup 2023, Sudharsan scored 220 runs including a fantastic hundred against arch-rivals Pakistan A. Scoring in such a high-octane encounter deservedly brought the young southpaw further into the limelight.
Speaking to the host broadcaster after his debut, Sudharsan explained how well he had prepared to try to understand South African conditions by speaking to former cricketers who toured there before. It speaks volumes about just how well-prepared the youngster was to hit the ground running.
Consistency in IPL is proof of Sudharsan's adaptability
Sai Sudharsan has also been a serial run-scorer in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and that naturally gave him his maiden IPL contract with the Gujarat Titans (GT). While it could have certainly been a challenge to replicate the consistency at a higher level, Sudharsan once again seemed to be at ease.
In IPL 2022, the youngster played just five games and scored 145 runs along with a fine half-century. While he warmed the bench in the campaign opener of the next season, an injury to Kane Williamson meant that Sudharsan became an important cog of the GT team at No.3.
Rather than being taken aback by the sudden responsibility, Sai Sudharsan relished the opportunity and had a breakout season. He scored a staggering 362 runs in 8 games, including a fantastic knock of 96 in the final against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
In one of the finest leagues in the world where the quality of bowling is as close to international cricket as it can be, Sudharsan thrived in a way arguably no other young batter did. Perhaps it explains why he seemed at ease on his India debut in tricky conditions against the Proteas.
India are spoilt for choices at the top
Sai Sudharsan need not look far away from his IPL team to know who he is competing with for a spot in the Indian setup. The newly appointed skipper of Gujarat Titans, Shubman Gill has had an incredible 2023 and proved just how consistent one needs to be to break into the Indian team.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, A]another young southpaw on the side, also made waves for the Rajasthan Royals, bringing that form for the Men in Blue in Tests as well as the T20I format. Ruturaj Gaikwad is another serial run-scorer in domestic cricket who continues to be around the Indian team's scheme of things.
Ishan Kishan will also continue to hold an edge because of his wicketkeeping skills. Not to forget a certain Prithvi Shaw, who will always know that he has enough years ahead of him to make a comeback.
It is certainly not easy for any newcomer to compete when there are so many quality options available in Indian cricket at the top of the order. No one knows what the future holds. However, one thing is for certain in just a short period, Sai Sudharsan has made the world sit back and take notice of how special a cricketer he is.
Like poetry in motion, Sudharsan will continue knocking on the doors of destiny with his willow. Who knows, in four years, again in South Africa, he could be the one among fifteen, carrying the hopes of billions to heal the wounds of Ahmedabad 2023.