IPL 2025 | ‘Sense of belonging is the most important thing’: Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudharsan on Ashish Nehra, Shubman Gill

Gujarat Titans (GT) play a very distinct brand of cricket. The openers build patiently and provide a solid base almost every time. An unfancied, yet effective middle-order provides a flourishing finish on a consistent basis. 

Their methodology is not new. Chennai Super Kings have done it time and again. But what's different with Gujarat Titans is the type of personnel they use to get the result. Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler are household names in the IPL. Both of them have scored more than 850 runs in a season. RCB's Virat Kohli was the only other person to touch such heights. The third name in their top order is what makes GT a unique proposition.

Sai Sudharsan's early flourish

Sai Sudharsan, the 23-year-old left-hander, is one of the brightest batting talents to have emerged from Tamil Nadu in recent times. The young opener joined GT in 2022 and was limited to just 13 meetings in the first two seasons. However, the 13th match proved to be a career-defining one for Sudharsan. He smashed 96 off just 47 balls in the final of IPL 2023 against Chennai Super Kings, the team which is based out of his hometown. This came one game after he was retired out for scoring a sedate 43 off 31 in the Qualifier 2 game against Mumbai Indians.

Retention, the show of faith

Hardik Pandya's exit from Gujarat Titans meant Sudharsan became the Indian batting mainstay, along with captain Shubman Gill. Sudharsan produced his first 500-run IPL season. He also scored his maiden IPL century, fittingly against Chennai Super Kings. Should GT retain him ahead of the mega auction? Experts were divided in their opinion. A lot of them were not in favour of retaining a player who is not known for his big hitting. They wanted an attack-minded player to complement Shubman Gill's consistency. The management surprised everyone by retaining Sai Sudharsan with Shubman Gill, and the left-hander is thankful to the management.

“I would like to thank Ashu Pa (Ashish Nehra) and all the support staff. The sense of belonging is the most important part in any team. It has helped me to express myself, whatever I wanted to do. There's no judgments here,” said the talented opener. 

Sai Sudharsan has repaid the faith with yet another consistent season with the bat. Sudharsan crossed 35 on nine occasions.

Sai Sudharsan's scores, IPL 2025

74 (41) vs Punjab Kings

63 (41) vs Mumbai Indians

49 (36) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru

5 (9) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

82 (53) vs Rajasthan Royals

56 (37) vs Lucknow Super Giants

36 (21) vs Delhi Capitals

52 (36) vs Kolkata Knight Riders

39 (30) vs Rajasthan Royals

48 (23) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sai Sudharsan-Shubman Gill combo

Sudharsan and Gill are the most consistent duo in IPL 2025, scoring 628 runs as a pair in just 10 innings. They managed to add 50 runs for the first wicket on six occasions and managed to convert that into a century stand twice. 

The left-hander acknowledges Shubman Gill's help in his evolution.

“I have always looked up to him in these three years. If I have a difficulty in the nets or if I have a difficulty facing someone, I will have a conversation with him,” said Sudharsan about his captain.

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