Fuelled by greater belief, Sai Sudharsan causes mayhem in PowerPlay

B. Sai Sudharsan's evolution as a T20 opener, from consistent run-scorer to explosive striker, driven by mindset shift and technique.

B. Sai Sudharsan’s game at the top of the order has many praiseworthy features. Foremost among them in the T20 format is his ability, aided by a robust technique, to pile up runs regularly without ever resorting to ungainly slogging. He has averaged above 45 in each of the previous two IPL seasons for Gujarat Titans, and his 617 runs this year — he is atop the list of highest run-getters — have come at a splendid 56.09.

But if there was a bone to pick with the left-handed opener from Chennai in previous editions, it was that he wasn’t explosive enough in the first six overs to make optimum use of the field restrictions. The 23-year-old’s strike rate hovering just over 140 in 2023 and 2024 suggests he would eventually catch up, but not inflicting significant damage on the new-ball operators wasn’t acceptable when other teams were teeing off immediately.

Like all top players who seek to constantly evolve, Sai Sudharsan has gone about working on that facet in this edition. In the PowerPlay overs in 2023, his second IPL season, he was meandering along at a strike rate of 117.64. It shrunk even lower to 115.49 in 2024. Now, though, he is causing mayhem against the little white orb from the very start, striking at 157.56 when only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. As a result, his overall strike rate has also swelled to 156.99 this season.

Sai Sudharsan put it down to a change in mindset. “I’ve started to believe a bit more,” he said after hitting a century in Titans’ 10-wicket rout of Delhi Capitals. “From my mindset point of view, the belief I have has gotten better to take the game deeper and win games. I’ve expanded my batting, explored my batting, mentally I’m a bit more free and expressive.”