Gujarat Titans (GT) fans were in for a disappointing Tuesday as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 leaders underwhelmed in their outing against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), suffering a one-sided eight-wicket loss that came in as a rude wake-up call.
IPL debutants GT, who have been among the more consistent sides this season, both with the bat and ball, were restricted to a sub-par 143/8 thanks to a disciplined effort from Kagiso Rabada (4/33). Opener Shikhar Dhawan then continued his fine form this season, leading the way with an unbeaten 62 and forming vital partnerships with Bhanuka Rajapaksa (40) and Liam Livingstone (30) to guide the 2014 finalists home with four overs to spare.
Gujarat Titans top-order batter B Sai Sudharsan plays a shot during his unbeaten innings of 65. Sportzpics
The only bright spot for the Titans from their performance evening was rookie batter B Sai Sudharsan’s fighting unbeaten 65 that took the side to a respectable score within touching distance of the 150-mark. Sudharsan stood tall even as wickets fell in clusters at the other end, and was single-handedly accelerating the Gujarat innings in the second half.
Had it not been for Sudharsan, the league leaders might have found it tough to cross even the 120-mark.
Who is B Sai Sudharsan?
The 20-year-old, playing his first IPL season, represents his native Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket.
The left-handed top-order batter, who occasionally bowls leg-spin, broke into the state team in late 2021 and has since played seven T20s and three List A matches in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy respectively.
Among his more notable performances was a 31-ball 46 that helped Tamil Nadu chase down a 182-run target set by Kerala in Mushtaq Ali quarters. He followed that performance up with an unbeaten 34, also coming in a chase, against Hyderabad in the semis. The performances might have led to the Titans showing interest in him in the player auction, and ultimately securing his services for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
Sai Sudharsan also made his mark in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) where he represented three-time champions Chepauk Super Gillies as well as Lyca Kovai Kings with 358 runs to his name from eight outings at an average and strike rate of 71.6 and of 143.7 respectively.
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