Kohli's dedication drove Sai Sudharsan to overcome distractions

Talent alone rarely leads a person to substantial success. Without hard work and discipline, talent can all but go down the drain. So, when an exceptional talent like Sai Sudharsan lost his way, his mother, an athlete herself, picked the legend himself to motivate her son. Sudharsan, who has dazzled IPL 2025 with his unreal consistency, fell prey to distractions during the lockdown. With the restrictions tight and the game at a pause, Sudharsan didn’t care if his career in cricket slipped away. However, his mother showed the young cricketer the videos of Virat Kohli. Highlighting Kohli’s net sessions, Sudharsan was shown the dedication that the modern-day legend still puts into his craft.

When Virat Kohli played an inspiration to Sai Sudharsan

Sai Sudharsan is a promising young man. A core member for Gujarat Titans ever since the team’s inception in 2022, the Tamil Nadu player holds the skills to become an all-format weapon for India. The youngster impressed in the last concluded domestic season. Sudharsan then arrived in IPL 2025, where he currently holds the Orange Cap. The GT opener has scored 679 runs in 14 matches with 5 half-centuries and a century. With Gujarat Titans all set to play the IPL 2025 playoffs, Sudharsan is a strong contender to keep the Orange Cap to himself by the conclusion.

Sudharsan’s onslaught in domestic cricket, added with his recent show of form in IPL 2025, landed him a place in the India squad for the India vs England Test series. The retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli opened the spots in the Indian Test setup. Meanwhile, the BCCI didn’t hesitate in giving a chance to the performers from the last domestic cycle. Karun Nair finally received his much-awaited call back into the Indian Test team. Sudharsan, meanwhile, enters as a youngster full of promise and skills fitting enough to present him as a long-term prospect for the team.

The boy, who is now the true depiction of consistency in the game of cricket, was once on the verge of leaving the sport. When Sudharsan grew tardy enough to let go of his game, his mother took matters into her own hands. To pull her son out of the slump, Usha Bhardwaj showed the net sessions of Virat Kohli to Sai. Noticing the dedication and discipline of Kohli, Sudharsan grew keen to pick up his game again. From then to now, acing a spot in the Indian Test team, it’s a transformed young gun that the fans are currently seeing.

"My mother takes care of my strength and conditioning and my dad (R Bharadwaj, a former national-level athlete) handles my running aspect. And I have my brother (B Sai Ram) who offers all the support. They know me completely. They understand my emotions. Because they are knowledgeable, they can make a difference in my life," Sudharsan told in the report.