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"Seems Like A Class Player" Shastri Backs Sai Sudharsan For England Tour After IPL Heroics

Rajgeeta Yadav

Ravi Shastri hails Sai Sudharsan [Source: @NPL_45/X.com]Ravi Shastri hails Sai Sudharsan [Source: @NPL_45/X.com]

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that 23-year-old cricketer Sai Sudharsan has the potential to play in all formats, Tests, ODIs, and T20s. He praised Sudharsan’s skills and said he would definitely keep an eye on him for India’s upcoming Test tour of England in June 2025, which includes five matches.

India’s Big Challenge In England

India are preparing for a tough five-Test series in England. This series marks the start of a new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. India didn't make it to the WTC final last time, after losing to Australia and New Zealand earlier. One of the main reasons for those losses was poor batting, and conditions in England are also known to be difficult for batters.

Even experienced players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have struggled to perform well in England in the past. So, India needs solid batters who can handle the challenging conditions.

Why Shastri Backs Sai Sudharsan

Sudharsan has been in great form in IPL 2025, scoring over 450 runs with five half-centuries. Plus, he’s already familiar with English pitches, as he played County Cricket for Surrey in 2023 and 2024, scoring a century and a fifty.

Shastri thinks Sudharsan’s experience and technique make him a great fit for Test matches in England, especially since he's a left-handed batter, which adds variety to the team.

Here’s what Shastri said in an ICC Review chat:

"I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all formats of the game," Shastri told The ICC Review.

"He seems like a class player and my eyes would be on him certainly. Being a left-hander in England, knowing English conditions, and just his technique, the way he plays, I think he'll be top of the list for me from the outsiders wanting to get into this side," Shastri said.

Shastri Also Wants a Left-Arm Pacer Like Arshdeep Singh

Shastri also feels India should take a left-arm fast bowler to England, as they could be useful in those conditions. 

"I'll be looking for a left-armer. I'll be keeping an eye on which left-armer is in good form, and try and squeeze him in there as the sixth (bowling) option," said the former India captain.

"It could be anyone. It could even be a white-ball specialist. I don't like this thing when they say someone like Arshdeep Singh is a 'white-ball specialist'." Shastri said.

Arshdeep has taken 66 wickets in 21 first-class (red-ball) matches, which shows promise.

Meanwhile, India's first Test match against England begins on June 20, 2025, at Headingley Carnegie.