Defending champions Gujarat Titans have started this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) from where they left off in 2022. They’ve won two in two games and just like last season, different players have risen to the occasion.
On Tuesday, it was 21-year-old Sai Sudharsan who anchored the chase with a brilliant 62 off 48 balls in their six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Throughout the innings, he never looked under pressure and the courageous scoop off speedster Anrich Nortje that went for six showed that he is here to stay.
One of Sai’s best knocks
“It is definitely one of the best knocks I’ve played in my career. We were in a difficult situation and to win from there makes me feel very pleased. I have practised that shot in net sessions [scoop]. I just felt it was the right decision to take at that point,” Sudharsan said in a virtual press-conference on Friday.
GT’s unsung hero so far has been the highly experienced Wriddhiman Saha, who despite not being at the crease for a long time, has played two crucial knocks of 25 off 16 balls and 14 off seven. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s attacking strokeplay in the Powerplay has allowed the Titans to take the game deep.
“I don’t know if I go under the radar or not [laughs]. I believe, if you dominate the Powerplay, you are already 40 per cent ahead in the game. We also have tremendous finishers in David Miller, Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Rahul Tewatia. Even if 40 runs are required off the last two overs, they have chased that. That actually gives me, Shubman [Gill] and Sai [Sudharsan] a lot of freedom at the top,” Saha said.
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Saha, 38, attributed GT’s tremendous success despite not having big names, to the immensely calm head coach Ashish Nehra, his assistant, Gary Kirsten and an
extremely relaxed team environment.
Homely feeling
“I’ve always felt that I belong to this franchise from the very first day. There are no individual goals here or anything such as senior-junior. We are free to pass on our thoughts to each other. That just binds us together,” Saha added.
