Gujarat Titans batter Sai Sudharsan expressed his admiration for skipper Hardik Pandya and his leadership qualities following the franchise’s consecutive appearances in the IPL final. Despite falling short against the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023 final, Hardik’s team has stood out as the most impressive franchise in the past two years.
During the summit clash, Sudharsan delivered an outstanding performance to score a remarkable 96 runs off just 47 deliveries. His partnership with the skipper resulted in a captivating 81-run stand, propelling GT to a monumental total of 214/4 in their allotted 20 overs.
Speaking to TOI in an exclusive interview, Sudharsan showered praise on Pandya.
“A leader like Hardik Pandya is a boon. He gives you the platform and the confidence to express yourself. He makes you feel very comfortable in your own skin, regardless of your performance on the day.
Even in my last innings ( Qualifier 1), I missed a few balls that I ought to have connected. But he gave me the confidence that I can still hit the big ones and do the job for the team.”
Sudharsan was also a member of GT’s championship-winning team in the previous season. However, the 21-year-old batsman has demonstrated significant improvement in his game this year, scoring 362 runs in eight matches at an impressive average of 51.71 and a strike rate of 141.41.
Despite their tremendous efforts, Gujarat fell short of becoming only the third team to secure consecutive IPL titles as they suffered a heartbreaking defeat on the last ball of the final against CSK in the summit clash.
Notably, Sudharsan emerged as one of the standout performers in the TNPL last year, representing the Lyca Kovai Kings. His exceptional contributions propelled LKK to the tournament’s final, where adverse weather conditions led to the abandonment of the match and both teams were declared joint winners.
