In Ahmedabad’s two-paced puzzle, Sai Sudharsan found the answer first

All fingers pointed to a high-scoring game on Tuesday in Ahmedabad. Sunil Gavaskar, in his pitch report, predicted 190-plus totals. After losing the toss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill chimed in, saying this was a better wicket than those from the previous games.

But it didn’t take long for those expectations to fall flat. The green tinge on the surface failed to translate into consistent bounce. Instead, it produced a spongy variant. Titans batters, after being inserted, struggled as the ball held up for a fraction longer on the surface.

Gill fell early, mistiming what is usually a bread-and-butter leg-side swipe for him. Jos Buttler followed soon after, caught behind while attempting an ill-advised ramp.

By the time his top-order partners had retreated to the hut, opener B Sai Sudharsan had already made up his mind about what would be a par score.

“At the start, the surface was a bit soft, and there was moisture in it. It was seaming around, and we also lost two early wickets, so it was my turn to take the game deep and have a decent total on the board,” said Sai Sudharsan at the mid-innings break.

The left-handed batter retreated further into his shell, reaching the end of the PowerPlay on just 12 from 13 deliveries.

He was still there at the halfway mark of the innings, trudging along on 28 from 25, having scored just three boundaries, all risk-free, carpet-hugging shots.

Sai Sudharsan’s first attempt to go aerial came only in the 11th over, when he scythed Eshan Malinga over backward point with a flourishing bat swing.

He added another six, a hoick down the ground, and a few more boundaries as he brought up his sixth fifty of the season. Along the way, he also crossed 500 runs for the third IPL campaign in a row.

When he was dismissed for a 44-ball 61, his strike rate stood at 138.63, abysmal by the standards of modern T20 cricket, but appropriate in the context of the game, as events later proved.

With Washington Sundar chipping in with a fifty of his own, Titans dragged themselves to 168, which looked sub-par to many at that point.

But the dampness in the pitch proved decisive. SRH’s mighty batting attack folded for just 86, handing Titans a massive win.

GT spinner R Sai Kishore hailed the composed hand played by his teammate Sai Sudharsan in setting up the side’s win, its fifth in a row.

“To be fair, the wicket was pretty even. It was seaming a lot even when SRH bowlers were bowling. That is where I think batsmanship comes into play. I think Sai played a wonderful knock. Even though he was not striking at a higher strike rate in this wicket, I think he took his percentage and played wonderful cricket,” said Sai Kishore at the post-match press conference.

A stirring performance from the home pacers soon backed up Sai Sudharsan’s efforts.

“I think the end of the wicket made a huge difference. When [Mohammed] Siraj and [Kagiso] Rabada were bowling in the PowerPlay, the ball was seaming a lot. It was not an easy wicket to bat on with the new ball. The way we batted actually made sure that the wicket looked much better than what it was,” added Sai Kishore.

The GT spinner admitted that by the innings break, the home dressing room had sensed that the total it had was around par. But long before it arrived at that conclusion, Sai Sudharsan had already made his own assessment and steered GT’s innings into winning territory.

Published on May 13, 2026