"I was shocked that Gujarat picked me because I hadn't even gone for their trials" - Sai Sudharsan living unexpected IPL dream

Why didn't the Gujarat Titans pick more specialist batters? How could they possibly expect to contend for the 2022 Indian Premier League title? Hardik Pandya is returning from injury. Jason Roy has withdrawn from the tournament; seeing the GT roster, you can't blame him. Half the names in the side haven't even played in the IPL before. Pff.

Sound familiar? This was the general discourse surrounding the Titans immediately after the IPL 2022 auction, and boy did they prove everyone wrong. Ashish Nehra and Co. didn't just win the trophy; they cruised towards it and picked it up with one hand while flipping off their detractors with the other.

There were question marks over whether one of their base-price recruits, B Sai Sudharsan, who had minimal top-level experience, was ready to be part of an IPL playing XI. But GT placed faith in the 21-year-old and played him in five matches, over the course of which he scored 145 runs at an average of 36.25 and a strike rate of 127.19.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Sai Sudharsan opened up about the emotional rollercoaster of being picked in the IPL for the first time. He insisted that there wasn't much celebration after Gujarat raised their paddle for him, stating instead that he immediately got down to the task at hand.

“I went for 4-5 IPL selections, but nobody gave me any hope by saying they were interested in me. I got picked in the third or fourth round. I was glued to the TV, but after some time I switched off the auction and I was relaxing. Suddenly, someone came to my room and congratulated me. That’s when I knew that Gujarat picked me. I was shocked that Gujarat picked me because I hadn’t even gone for their trials,” Sai Sudharsan said.

“There wasn’t much celebration. I was just waiting and waiting for the IPL camp to start. I immediately started preparing and planning for how I’d be useful to the team. My parents and friends were very happy, and I got a lot of warm messages from many people,” he added.

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Hardik Pandya is so confident that he automatically gives us confidence: Sai Sudharsan on India's next great leadership hope

Hardik Pandya, the leader, was a sight to behold in IPL 2022

Hardik Pandya, the leader, was a sight to behold in IPL 2022. Returning from a long injury-enforced layoff, the all-rounder took up the new ball, batted at No. 4 and barked out instructions to his players, all of whom were more than willing to listen to the new man in charge.

Pandya was so good with his leadership that he helped a team that supposedly had multiple holes in the roster achieve the impossible in their maiden year. He has even gone on to lead India in the shortest format on the back of his IPL displays and is touted to be one of the frontrunners to take over from Rohit Sharma when the Indian captain calls it a day in white-ball cricket.

Sai Sudharsan spoke glowingly about Pandya's leadership and the atmosphere in the GT dressing room. The senior players, along with head coach Ashish Nehra, put together an environment that allowed the youngsters to play freely and confidently. Walking into a dressing room filled with international stars, Sudharsan was put at ease.

"The main players like Rashid Khan and Hardik Pandya were joining us late. But even otherwise, at the start of the season it was like a surreal dream with the coaches and other players. I dreamt of playing in the IPL for so long, and I can’t express how special it was," Sai Sudharsan told Sportskeeda.

"Playing with Hardik bhai, Rashid bhai - the way they approach the game, the way they bring confidence into themselves and into the players surrounding them was just next level. I always admire Hardik bhai’s confidence - he automatically gives us confidence," he added.

Gujarat found themselves with an unexpected Tamil Nadu trio on their roster. Apart from Sai Sudharsan, veteran all-rounder Vijay Shankar and talented left-arm spinner Sai Kishore were also picked by the IPL newbies. Needless to say, the three bonded over coffee and helped themselves get acclimatized to the new environment.

"Vijay Shankar anna and Sai K [Kishore] were part of the franchise, so it was very comfortable. It was very easy for me to mingle with all the players in a new environment because I had a few familiar faces. Even that was only for the first week. Our team was a 'chilling' team, and we used to chill together. That reflected on the field as well," Sudharsan elaborated.

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"Once I stepped onto the field, things became clearer" - Sai Sudharsan brushes aside the butterflies to make IPL debut

Sai Sudharsan had barely any top-level experience heading into IPL 2022. But a debut was always on the cards and it transpired on April 8 against the Punjab Kings.

Sudharsan, batting at No. 3 while chasing 190, put on a 101-run partnership with Shubman Gill to set the Titans up for a last-ball victory. He was dismissed for a 30-ball 35, but not before he had struck Kagiso Rabada for three authoritative fours and Rahul Chahar for a monster six over midwicket.

“They told me the night before the game. Obviously, it was very special. I had mixed feelings because I had a lot of butterflies until the time I received the cap. Once I stepped onto the field, things became clearer and I entered a calmer state,” Sai Sudharsan said.

In his fourth IPL game, also against the Punjab Kings, Sai Sudharsan put together his maiden fifty. Coming in at No. 3, the talented southpaw recorded an unbeaten 65 off 50 balls in an innings where the next highest score was opener Wriddhiman Saha's 21 and only four batters touched double digits.

At the halfway stage of the match, having scored just 143, GT were practically out of the contest. They eventually lost with as many as four overs to spare, but the only reason they were in with a fighting chance was Sudharsan's innings. His fifty wasn't the only standout, though; his high standards and honest assessment of himself were too.

Celebrations were muted as Sai Sudharsan kept the Titans' innings afloat

Speaking during the mid-game interview, a demure Sai Sudharsan spoke about how he should've put away the bad balls in better fashion and about how the team needed more from him at the death. Asked about his self-accountability and desire to get better, never more evident than in those first few minutes of IPL screentime, he said:

“I was very honest during the flash interview. The requirements are always more in the game; there are always improvements you can make. I try to improve during every game and every practice session. You need to be hard on yourself, and in that game I missed a few bad balls. I could’ve accelerated better at the end. That’s what I honestly felt, and that’s why I said those things,” the youngster explained.

Despite his fifty, Sai Sudharsan would play his last IPL game of the season only three days later. He'd spend the rest of the campaign on the bench, with scores of 35(30), 11(9), 20(14), 65*(50) and 14(11) outlining a positive introduction to the IPL that culminated in a record-breaking maiden title. The 21-year-old, highlighting the need for matchups and combinations, doesn't look back on his spell on the sidelines negatively.

“What happened was that they needed one more spinner so Sai Kishore played. There was also an overseas slot available, and Matthew Wade played. I definitely wasn’t disappointed; that was the requirement of the team. If the team needs something, it has to be done. There’s no point being disappointed there. Of course, after the tournament gets over everyone will feel they could’ve played a few games more. But you have to accept whatever the team needs,” Sai Sudharsan concluded.