23-year-old Sai Sudharsan is making waves in the cricket world, after a stellar performance for Gujarat Titans in the IPL, he is now ready for the Test series in England.
In an exclusive interview with the Times of India, Sai said that contributing to the team and becoming a better batsman in every format is more important for him than chasing runs.
The Secret of Sai Sudarshan’s success
Sai says that the secret of his success is hard work every day and consistent good performance.
“I don’t think about the result, I just play every ball on its merit,”
Sai said. There is a wonderful combination of class and power in his batting.
He not only plays beautiful shots, but also thrashes the bowlers when needed. Sai’s focus is on playing good balls in the right way, so that he does not need to take risky shots.
His pairing with Shubman Gill in the IPL garnered a lot of accolades. Now Shubman is the captain of the Test team, and Sai is learning a lot from his art of staying calm and cool.
“I learned a lot about mindset and confidence from Shubman. He stays cool even in difficult times,” Sai said.
What will be England’s Challenge?
Switching from the high-voltage cricket of IPL to the patience-filled game of Test is not easy. Sai says,
“Patience and technique are required in Tests. One has to work on the basics to deal with swing and seam movement.”
Sai has previously played county cricket for Surrey, the experience of which will be useful to him in England. He is busy preparing by checking the notes of his old diary.
After the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Sai is being considered as the superstar of the new generation. But he does not consider this tag a burden.
“I just want to give my best. Playing for the country and winning series is the biggest thing for me,” Sai said with a smile.
Sai’s fitness is also his strength. After being dropped from Tamil Nadu in the Under-19, he made major changes in his diet and training. The result is that today he is playing for India-A.
