He’s smooth! He’s elegant!! And he’s effective!!! Everything you need from a batter in the middle order. Our Titan from the South, Sai Sudharsan, bats like a dream when he’s in flow. Sai is a man who plays with no fuss and carries a calm head over his shoulders. He’s someone that you can rely on when the going gets tough. Over the past few years with us at Gujarat Titans, our Sai Su has grown from strength to strength.

From auction to action

Sai Sudharsan’s journey to cricketing prominence has been swift and impressive. He first came into the limelight following a stellar performance in the 2021 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League. Playing for the Lyca Kovai Kings, the youngster amassed 358 runs at an average of 71.60.

This paved the way for his immediate feature in the big leagues. In the TATA IPL 2022 Mega Auction, we capitalised on the opportunity to bring him into the Gujarat Titans fold, a decision he has paid rich dividends. 

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans)

Making his TATA IPL debut that season, Sai Su gave a good account of himself in the limited opportunities that came his way. 145 runs at a strike rate of just over 100 might not read well on the face of it, but the situations and the conditions in which our Titan went about his business showed the team management much more than what the numbers suggested.

But it was the 2023 season that saw our southpaw take the TATA IPL challenge head-on and come up trumps. Sai Su scored 362 runs for us in just eight matches. This included three half-centuries and the memorable 96 off 47 balls in the TATA IPL 2023 final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Sai Su’s national call-up

It was no surprise that a quality run in the TATA IPL helped him knock on the doors of the Indian men’s national team as well. And following another quality run in the domestic circuit, the ACC Men's Emerging Teams' Asia Cup, and a short stint in English County cricket with Surrey, our Titan earned his National cap following the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup last year.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Sai Sudharsan (@sais_1509)

“Growing up as a small kid like everybody, I also dreamt of playing for the country. So with hard work and grit, dreams do come true. I am blessed to represent the country and contribute to the team. Looking forward to lots of memories,” Sai Su shared with the world on his Instagram handle following his debut.

It’s this confidence that our young Titan has brought into our latest campaign in the TATA IPL. Sai Su has been effective as an Impact Player for us, with some timely performances that have led to a few memorable victories against challenging opposition. He has also stepped up as an opener when called upon. 

With plenty of cricket yet to be played in TATA IPL 2024, we wait to see our Tamil paiyan own the stage in his unique manner.