Sai Sudharsan to feature in India's next T20 World Cup squad? GT star says ‘still a long way to go’

Gujarat Titans' opening batter, Sai Sudharsan, has had a breakout season in the IPL this year. He currently leads the Orange Cap leaderboard with 759 runs in 15 innings, boasting an impressive strike rate of 156.17 and an average of 54.21. However, his heroics were not enough to secure a win for the Gujarat Titans in their Eliminator clash against the Mumbai Indians on Friday.

After the match, Sudharsan was asked if he was aiming for a place in India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad. The young batter played down his chances, saying that he still had a lot to work on as a T20 player.

“I mean, playing for the country is obviously a dream for everybody, so I would love to do that…But I'm not thinking on those lines because if you see about the season, I have a lot of things to improve as a T20 batter. There are so many facets of the game, or so many sectors, I should improve when I play T20 again. So I'm focusing more on that. Of course, when I get an opportunity, I will give my best for the country.” Sudharsan said after the match. 

The GT batter has given his franchise consistent starts throughout the season and played an important role in helping them reach the top fou stage. Even in the Eliminator clash, Sudharsan played an 80 run knock to help provide a fighting chance to GT but the team eventually lost the match by 20 runs.

Sai Sudharsan on preparation for England Tests: 

Sudharsan will now be focusing on the five-match series against England, which starts on 20 June. Before the series begins, the batsman will have the chance to join the India A team for their second unofficial match against the England Lions on 6 June.

Sai Sudharsan's next assignment is the India A tour of England, which started on the same day as the Eliminator with the first four-day game in Canterbury. It remains to be seen if both Sai Sudharsan and Gill make it in time for the second fixture starting on June 6 in Northampton, but GT's early elimination from the playoffs does give the duo extra time to fly out and get some red-ball game time.