'Wow Sai Sudarshan Wow!': India Star Thrilled After Tamil Nadu Batter's Maiden Call-up

The Indian cricket team has started preparing for the future after the ODI World Cup 2023.

With senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli resting from the ODIs, the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, has decided to test the calibre of several youngsters during the upcoming South Africa tour, beginning on December 10.

One of the fresh faces to be introduced in the ODI set-up is Sai Sudharsan, who caught attention with some excellent performance in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

After the ODI squad for the South Africa tour was released, veteran spinner R Ashwin congratulated Sudharsan on the maiden call-up.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), an overwhelmed Ashwin wrote, “Wow Sai Sudarshan wow! Genuinely happy for a kid who has been chasing excellence and has not left any stone unturned. Totally thrilled. Well done.”

Alongside the ODI squad, Sudharsan has been included in the India A squad for the shadow tour of South Africa as well.

The Tamil Nadu batter has put up some brilliant performances in the domestic circuit over the last few years and in IPL, which piqued the interest of the national selectors.

According to Sai Sudarshan, getting the opportunity to represent his country is nothing short of “a dream come true” for him.

“It is a great feeling, and I am a bit lost for words. It is a dream come true for me, but at the same time, this is just the beginning, and there are many areas where I need to improve,” he told Sportstar.

Sai Sudharsan joined Gujarat Titans ahead of the 2022 IPL and got to play only five matches during his debut campaign. He got more opportunities to demonstrate his quality last season thanks to the impact players rule.

Featuring in 8 matches during the 2023 campaign, Sudharsan aggregated a total of 362 runs at an exceptional average of over 50.

Courtesy of his IPL performances, Sudharsan was selected in the India A squad for the ACC Emerging Cup in Sri Lanka where he smashed a century against Pakistan A. He also participated in the Deodhar Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup earlier this year.

During his domestic career thus far, Sudarshan has featured in 22 List-A games and has racked up a total of 1236 runs including six centuries and four half-centuries.