Dubai: Former head coach Ravi Shastri sees in young Sai Sudharsan an all-format batter who deserves to be in the India side for the Test series against England later this year.
India will start the new World Test Championship cycle (2025-2027) with an away five-Test series in England, with all eyes on the squad selection following their 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home and a 1-3 defeat against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Tests.
Shastri says Sudharsan, currently second on the list of highest IPL run-getters so far this season with 456 runs for Gujarat Titans, is a classy left-hander who will do well in English conditions, given his technique and his county stint.
Speaking with host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review, Shastri threw his support behind Sudharsan following the 23-year-old’s standout form in the ongoing IPL 2025. So far in nine matches, he has made 456 runs at an average of 50.66, a strike rate of 150, with five fifties and the best score of 82.
Already capped in white-ball cricket, Sudharsan is yet to debut in Tests, but Shastri sees him as a future all-format player for India. So far, Sudharsan has played three ODIs, scoring 127 runs in three matches with two fifties.
“I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all formats of the game,” Shastri told The ICC Review as quoted by ICC..
“He seems like a class player and my eyes would be on him certainly.”
Sudharsan brings valuable experience in English conditions, having turned out for Surrey in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024. In five matches, he scored 281 runs, including a century and a fifty.
In 29 first-class matches overall, he has 1957 runs at an average of 39.93, including a maiden double-century in the format in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season for Tamil Nadu against Delhi in October 2024.
“Being a left-hander in England, knowing English conditions, and just his technique, the way he plays, I think he will be top of the list for me from the outsiders wanting to get into this side,” added Shastri.
