Sai Sudharsan currently focussed on IPL, not on England tour

Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan is thrilled about his selection for the upcoming India A tour of England but for now his sights are firmly set on guiding the former champions to Qualifier 1 and final of IPL 2025. The 23-year-old, who has the experience of representing Surrey and scoring a century for the English county side, has been named in the India A squad and is also set to become the rookie face in the Test squad.

Mentally, we will have to be switched on for the IPL first. Once that story is over, then we can probably think about the India 'A' story. But happy for that opportunity, and I think I would have a great time there," Sudharsan told reporters on Thursday.

The Tamil Nadu opener, currently leading the Orange Cap race with 638 runs in 13 matches, has been one of the standout performers of the season.

"Right now, the most important thing is to finish in the top two so that we get an extra opportunity (of playing in Qualifier 2), if at all we need.

"The focus is more on that. Obviously, there are a lot of experiences and learnings in these 13 games (that we have played). So, we keep on filling the gaps wherever we feel like, and we will be ready for the playoffs." Sudharsan said.

Sudharsan has been a vital cog in Gujarat's top order alongside skipper Shubman Gill and wicketkeeper-batter Jos Buttler, forming one of the most formidable top-three combinations of the season.

However, all three fell after getting starts in the game against Lucknow Super Giants, leaving the daunting 236-run chase to the largely untested middle order. I think the IPL is that kind of league where you can't experiment, even if you qualify early in the tournament. So, I don't think you can try a lot of different things in the middle order." Despite a spirited effort from Shahrukh Khan (57 off 29) and Sherfane Rutherford, who shared an 89-run stand, GT fell short by 33 runs.

But I feel the middle order has done pretty well because even in the first 6-7 games, Sherfane stepped up and scored many runs in the middle order, changing games for us. Even in Mumbai, he changed the course of the game.

So, I think even Shahrukh got an opportunity today to showcase his talent. I feel the middle order is on course as well. I don't think there is any gap or issue in the middle order. I feel things went well for all three batters at the top, so they didn't get many opportunities to play in the first half of the tournament," he added.