In an age of hurry, Sai Sudharsan keeps his own time

Unlike most of his contemporaries, B. Sai Sudharsan employs a bat-down technique. He awaits the bowler in his crease with the bottom edge of the bat resting on the ground.

He raises his bat to load his shot only when the bowler reaches the popping crease, adjusting the extent of his backswing based on his reading of length and shot choice.

It is a batting style from a bygone era, one that makes the process seem tougher than it should be. For Sai Sudharsan, it is a habit born of childhood frailty, one he has considered changing but ultimately retained.

“I started playing by keeping my bat down when I was young,” explains Sai Sudharsan in an interview with Sportstar.

“The main reason at the time was that I was not very strong. My coaches would say, ‘You’re not so strong. So, don’t lift your bat. Otherwise, you’ll get tired soon. Just keep your bat down.’ That’s how I started.”

“But it is helping me. Yes, I had some temptations in between to change it. But I think I had more trust in this. The way I batted, the set-up I have, I trusted this more,” he added.

The 24-year-old’s faith in his natural style has brought rich rewards, most notably the Orange Cap in IPL 2025, when he accumulated 759 runs at an impressive strike rate of 156.17 for Gujarat Titans.

That massive haul was the punctuation mark on an upward trajectory that has defined his IPL career: 145 runs in 2022, 362 in 2023, and 527 in 2024.

At the heart of his progression has been a willingness to adapt by adding new shots to his repertoire, particularly behind square. The southpaw has integrated a variety of ramps and scoops into his strokeplay as he has expanded his run-scoring methods.

This evolution has been the result of conscious planning and focused off-season training, driven by a desire to add new tools without unsettling his batting foundation.

“I definitely do it [prepare for such shots] beforehand. The way the sport is going, we need multiple options against the bowler. Without disturbing my strengths, how can I still improve my range? That is the thought process. It takes time to develop a new shot, but I think I’ve done a very good job.”

While Sai Sudharsan has impressed individually, it is his opening partnership with skipper Shubman Gill that has underpinned Gujarat Titans’ team plan.

Over the last two seasons, the pair has aggregated a league-leading 1453 runs at an average of 63.17. With an emphasis on accumulation and risk minimisation, the two are expected to provide a stable base for the middle order to capitalise on.

Sai Sudharsan believes this is a perfect alignment of team strategy and individual strengths.

“I think it was in unison, where our strengths aligned with what the team required. The team requirement was also very similar. We focus more on taking the game deeper and winning it from there,” he says.

In addition to his appetite for runs, the Tamil Nadu batter is known for his quirky preparation routines. During the England Test series in 2025, he was spotted jotting in his journal before walking out to bat and engaging in visualisation exercises. This is in addition to his habit of not batting on the eve of a game and assessing the pitch by walking on it barefoot.

It would be easy to label these as superstitions and dismiss them. But in a high-pressure environment like competitive sport, such forms of pattern-building are essential for performance, he believes.

“Most sportsmen do it. It’s a feel-good thing. Whatever you do, even practice, it’s about making you feel good and confident. So, whatever helps us feel that way is good. There is a reason for me to do these things — to be in a good headspace and be expressive and natural when I step onto the ground.”

Sai Sudharsan also admits that he has toned down his routines, sticking only to pragmatic ones.

“I used to have a lot of superstitions, but over time I have reduced them and made everything more practical and logical. Sometimes I would eat the same food — it could be ice cream or biryani. If the game went well, I would repeat it for 14 games. I have done that before, but now I have taken it out of my system. It’s just an example,” he says.

The left-hander was last in action in national colours against South Africa in a home Test series, where India suffered a 2-0 defeat.

Sai Sudharsan featured only in the second Test in Guwahati and managed just 29 runs across both innings. It was a failure that prompted serious introspection.

“I had so much anger towards myself that I was not able to execute when the team needed it. But once the series finished, I understood that I need to work more, be better prepared, and be ready when the situation comes again. That was the biggest thing on my mind.”

Published on Apr 08, 2026

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