The T20 game has evolved rapidly. With swashbuckling openers like Abhishek Sharma, young talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Priyansh Arya and others making an impact, the format has taken a more aggressive turn. Now hitters usually come in with a clear intention: to hit the ball out of the park. However, for Sai Sudharsan, versatility remains more important than chasing high strike rates ahead of IPL 2026.“I think it’s important to have that versatility. It’s important to look at it that way instead of just looking at how I want to improve my strike rate. Instead, I think I’m looking to be more versatile.”
“I think it depends a lot on the conditions. A lot depends on a lot of variables. Yes, they (Abhishek, Sanju Samson, Sooryavanshi) have done a brilliant job. And as batsmen, we would love to and especially I would love to learn from that. And I would love to raise my bar too, for sure.”“If the wicket is really good, yes, we will have to do that too (increase the strike rate). But if the wicket is tacky, if the wicket is a bit difficult, we will have to be versatile enough to adapt to that as well. I think I am focusing a lot more on being versatile and taking the longer innings and making the team win.”Sudharsan won the ‘Orange Cap’ with 759 runs at a strike rate of around 145 in the last IPL season.‘Gill is a trustworthy person’Having opened the batting with Shubman Gill for several years, Sudharsan has developed a strong mutual trust with the Gujarat Titans captain and is comfortable discussing his thoughts and state of mind with him.“Shubman, as a captain, is a very trustworthy person. He makes you feel like you belong to the team. It keeps you in a very good place.
Survey
Do you think versatility is more important than a high strike rate in T20 cricket?
“He’s very instinctive. He knows what you feel. Most of the time, when I felt something in my mind, he used to tell me, ‘I understand what you feel, but you’re there.’“Sometimes he would say something to me that made me feel a little more positive or a little more assertive. I think he is one of the great captains I have played with,” Sudharsan said, leaving no doubt about Gill’s leadership.
