“He is the future of Indian cricket” - Navjot Singh Sidhu’s massive claim on youngster amid ENG vs IND 2025 5th Test

Former opener Navjot Singh Sidhu has hailed Sai Sudharsan as the future of Indian cricket. His comments came amid the ongoing fifth Test between India and England, which got underway on Thursday, July 31, at The Kennington Oval in London.

After being put into bat, India ended Day 1 at 204/6 after 64 overs, with Karun Nair (52) and Washington Sundar (19) unbeaten at the crease. Sai Sudharsan got a start but couldn’t convert it into a big score, managing 38 off 108 balls, including six boundaries.

On Friday, August 1, Navjot Singh Sidhu shared a video on his YouTube channel (@NavjotSidhuOfficial), where he praised the young southpaw, calling him the next big thing in Indian cricket. The 61-year-old said:

“Look at Sai Sudharsan. I’ve been saying since the IPL days that he is the future of Indian cricket. In spite of what anyone in the world may or may not say, just look at his head position, look at how well-balanced he is. Watch how his body weight transfers, see his effortless cricket. He picks the line so quickly and plays fluently on both sides, off and on side, off the back foot and the front foot. These are the two strong aspects, what we call gains. You know, these gains will ease our pains.”

In the three matches Sudharsan has featured in so far, he has accumulated 129 runs across five innings at an average of 25.80, including a solitary half-century.

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“There is no excuse for the run out” - Sidhu slams skipper Shubman Gill for his dismissal on Day 1

In the aforementioned video, Navjot Singh Sidhu criticized Shubman Gill for his careless run-out during the second ball of the 28th over. Gill nudged a full delivery from Gus Atkinson towards short cover and immediately set off for a quick single.

However, the attempt was poorly judged. Atkinson reacted swiftly, moved to his left, collected the ball cleanly, and hit the stumps directly at the striker’s end, sending Gill packing.

“There is no excuse for the run out of Shubman Gill. Two crucial run outs have happened. One was at Lord's after a 120-run partnership when KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were batting. That unnecessary single they took, I don’t know what happened. It was like inviting trouble. You know the saying, invite trouble and it usually comes. That was like saying, come trouble, embrace me. And when you do that, trouble crushes you like an elephant steps on an ant,” Sidhu said.

“Shubman Gill, once he crosses 20, I start seeing a long hundred. Whether it's a grassy pitch or not, you don’t murder a man who’s trying to commit suicide. That was harakiri. He didn’t realize it, but just like kamikaze pilots who would destroy the enemy and themselves in the process, here the enemy wasn’t even harmed and he brought about his own downfall. I think he has to learn from his mistakes because this run out was so crucial for India today. A set batsman who could have easily gone on to score a hundred, a sheet anchor. It felt like England had already taken down half the team,” he continued.

The Indian captain scored 21 off 35 deliveries, striking four boundaries.