INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND 2025
Sai Sudharsan averages 39.93 in first-class cricket © Getty
Explaining the maiden Test call-up for Tamil Nadu batter Sai Sudharsan, Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar, on Saturday, asserted, “We have not picked him because of the IPL.”
Sudharsan is one of the two players, along with Arshdeep Singh, to receive their maiden Test call-up for India’s upcoming tour of England. “We have known him as a terrific red-ball player (too),” Agarkar explained. “He has shown the right temperament and seems to have the game to succeed at the top level. Once he plays, we will probably get to know about him a bit better. But he seems to have the goods. So, I don’t think his IPL performances have made us pick him for Test cricket.”
Sudharsan is currently leading the Orange Cap race in the IPL and is widely regarded as one of the best batters going around in the league. While his selection was expected and even seen as an inspired move by the selectors, the 23-year-old – with 638 runs to his name this season – remains slightly untested in red-ball cricket. To put it more appropriately, his white-ball credentials outweigh his red-ball record, consistency wise.
In first-class cricket, he averages 39.93 from 29 games. He did score a century against Australia A Down Under, but managed only 23 runs in the other three innings on that tour. There was also a hundred in the County Championship last year, but across five innings, he aggregated just 165 runs at an average of 33. More than 15 months ago, he struck a century against England Lions in Ahmedabad, yet it is in white-ball cricket that he has truly showcased his abilities with confidence and self-belief. Beyond this season’s continued and sterling performance, he was also Gujarat Titans’ highest run-getter in the last IPL, scoring 527 runs.
It’s clear that the selectors are taking a calculated punt on players like Sudharsan, who has demonstrated solid technique, temperament, and composure. In fact, Ravi Shastri had told Cricbuzz just a few weeks ago that Sudharsan should be in contention for the England tour. As Indian cricket moves into the post Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli era, the selectors seem to be willing to take a leap of faith with a few bold selections.
Karun Nair appears to fit into that scheme, although he’s not as young as Sudharsan. At 33, Nair is experiencing a second wind of sorts in his career, and the selectors have shown considerable faith in the right-handed batter. Both Sudharsan and Nair are expected to be in the starting XI, unless the touring team management opts to give Abhimanyu Easwaran the initial opportunity.
There is a perception that Easwaran (29) was somewhat unfairly overlooked during the Australia tour, particularly when Devdutt Padikkal was picked for the Perth Test in the last Border-Gavaskar series. Either way, among Easwaran, Sudharsan, and Nair, two are expected to feature in the playing XI for most of the five Tests in England, with one of them in the top-three. If they deliver, it will ensure a smooth transition into the new era of Indian cricket under Shubman Gill.
“You have to punt on some players, you need to give them some time, say about 10 Tests,” Kiran More told Cricbuzz, welcoming the selection committee’s decisions. “Players like Karun, Easwaran, Sai and Arshdeep (Singh) will mature, but they need exposure. These players will take time to come good. You give time to them just like you have given to Shubman. In all fairness, it is a good team.”
Agarkar’s take on the subject was, “We are looking at all sorts of scenarios over the next two years. What is going to help build a team leading up to that WTC final.”
Apart from Sudharsan, Nair, and Easwaran, the fourth most notable selection call was the inclusion of Arshdeep. As a left-arm pacer, Arshdeep (26) brings a different dynamic to the attack, with the ability to seam and swing the ball – an important skill set that is particularly needed in the English conditions. It was a bold decision by the selectors to back the Punjab pacer, especially when Harshit Rana was widely considered the frontrunner for the fifth specialist pace bowler’s slot.
The biggest punt yet by the selectors of course is the elevation of Gill as skipper ahead of experienced and seniors like Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. The latter, one understands, is happy to contribute as a player to the side rather than be burdened with the captaincy. Actually, he likes his current position in the side.
Speaking of Pant, Agarkar said, “He is the vice-captain. He has been one of our best batters in Test cricket over the last four-five years. A wicketkeeper can see the game well behind the stumps. He has got the experience at the moment. That is why he is Shubman’s deputy. You can help him out with all the experience that he has got. And he is an incredible player. We are obviously looking at guys who can take the team forward over the next few years. And at the moment, these two are the guys that we feel can do that.”
© Cricbuzz
