'Shocked To Receive Award' - Sai Sudharsan On Winning POTM vs MI

Sai Sudharsan with man of the match award (iplt20.com)Sai Sudharsan with man of the match award (iplt20.com)

Gujarat Titans secured a narrow 6-run victory over the Mumbai Indians in their IPL 17 opener game. 

The tightly contested match, held in Ahmedabad, saw Rashid Khan and Mohit Sharma clinch the win for GT with exceptional bowling performances, supported by Umesh Yadav and Spencer Johnson.  

However, Sai Sudharsan, who played a crucial innings scoring 45 runs, was named the player of the match.

After winning the toss, MI captain Hardik Pandya opted to let the home team bat first. GT captain Shubman Gill made a positive start, but it was Sai Sudharsan who played a pivotal role throughout GT's batting innings. 

Sudharsan scored a 39-ball 45, which might seem slow in T20 standards, but when analyzing the overall game, the importance of this knock becomes evident. He hit 3 boundaries and a six before being dismissed in a freak catch by MI youngster Tilak Varma.

After winning the Man of the Match award, Sai Sudharsan addressed the challenging batting conditions on the pitch. Despite the pitch aiding MI in their second innings due to the dew factor, the disciplined bowling by GT caused MI to struggle, ultimately leading to their defeat.

"I feel even in the first innings it was slightly difficult and second innings because of the dew they were able to play a few shots, but we pulled off a great game today. I am just taking it as an extra opportunity to try and win a game for my team." 


"After a few balls, I felt this is that kind of a wicket where you can go hard everywhere and wanted to build on the momentum. Too many great contributions in the second innings and I am actually shocked to be receiving this award. As a batter, I found it tough when they took the pace off and our bowlers executed really well today."

Gujarat Titans will play their next game against CSK at Chepauk, while Mumbai Indians will face SRH.