Sai Sudharsan is having the kind of year young cricketers dream about — only now, the stakes are a lot higher.
With the Indian Test squad stepping into a bold new chapter, selectors have made it clear: the future is now. Following the exit of big names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, India’s red-ball rebuild has officially begun.
Shubman Gill takes the reins as captain, Rishabh Pant is his deputy, and the squad is stacked with fresh faces hungry to prove they belong.
But one selection has triggered a flurry of debate — and curiosity.
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Sudharsan’s inclusion in the squad for the upcoming England Tests has sparked questions. Was this call-up purely based on a red-hot IPL run? Or has the Tamil Nadu batter quietly built a case in first-class cricket that most fans simply overlooked?
The answer, according to Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar, lies somewhere people aren’t looking enough: the red-ball grind.
Agarkar shuts down IPL-only narrative around Sudharsan
Ajit Agarkar didn’t mince words when asked whether Sai Sudharsan’s selection had anything to do with the Orange Cap he’s currently wearing in IPL 2025.
“We have not picked him [only] for IPL [performances]. We have known that he is a terrific red-ball player,” Agarkar said. “I mean, last year when the England Lions came, he played the A tour and he got runs there as well. So it’s not like he’s not got runs in red-ball cricket.”
And the numbers agree. Sudharsan scored 304 runs in just three Ranji Trophy matches this season, including a double hundred against Delhi. He also traveled with India A to Australia — and is set to tour England with the A side again before the senior series begins.
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“He’s shown the right temperament and seems to have the temperament to succeed at the top level,” Agarkar added. “Once he plays, we will get to know him better. We have been looking at him for a while — at least since I’ve been here — and now he’s got an opportunity.”
So yes, he’s the Orange Cap holder with 638 runs in IPL 2025. But for India’s selectors, this call-up was already in the works — built on red-ball evidence, not just short-format flash.
Sai Sudharsan’s IPL stats 2025
| Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 38 | 4 | 1672 | 108* | 49.17 | 145.13 | 2 | 11 | 167 | 51 | 10 |
Sai Sudharsan’s First-class stats
| Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 49 | 0 | 1957 | 213 | 39.93 | 55.06 | 7 | 5 | 205 | 10 | 20 |