New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has called for the inclusion of Gujarat Titans’ opener Sai Sudharsan in India’s squad for the upcoming five-match Test series in England, following the 23-year-old’s standout show in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Sudarshan has accumulated over 456 runs in nine matches in IPL 2025 and is a strong contender for an orange cap, sitting behind the leader Suryakumar Yadav (475 runs in 11 games) of Mumbai Indians. The southpaw has smashed five half-centuries, playing a pivotal role in helping the Titans maintain their position in the top four as the league stage enters its final two weeks.
Speaking on the latest episode of The ICC Review, Shastri threw his support behind Sudharsan, who has played three ODIs for India but is yet to make a Test debut and called him a future all-format player for India.
“I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all formats of the game. He seems like a class player and my eyes would be on him certainly,” Shastri said.
Sudharsan brings valuable experience in English conditions, having turned out for Surrey in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024. In five matches, he has scored 281 runs, including a century and a fifty.
In 29 first-class matches overall, he has 1957 runs at an average of 39.93, including a maiden double-century in the format in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season for Tamil Nadu against Delhi in October 2024.
“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,” added Shastri.
Shastri further expressed a desire to include a left-arm pacer in the squad for the seam-friendly English conditions, suggesting Arshdeep Singh as a suitable option.
“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. 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’.
“I’ll keep a close eye on his red-ball record as well and the number of overs he bowls. If he can bowl 15-20 overs for me, he might very well be in the mix because he’s got the mindset. He’s a thinking bowler and I need a left-armer. It’s just that,” he said.
Arshdeep has shown promise in red-ball cricket, claiming 66 wickets in 21 first-class matches. His recent stint was with Kent in the 2024 County Championship, where he picked up 13 wickets in five games and gained valuable exposure in English conditions.
“You need a left-armer, go and find him, whoever it is and whoever is the best of the lot – pick them. There’s Khaleel Ahmed, who again, his rhythm is good, he’s bowling well. So it’s important to get that mix.”
Khaleel, with 52 wickets in 19 first-class matches, has also been on the selectors’ radar. He was part of the Australia tour, initially with India A and later as a travelling reserve for the Border-Gavaskar series, though a niggle cut his time short.
“You need a left-armer, go and find him, whoever it is and whoever is the best of the lot – pick them. There’s Khaleel Ahmed, who again, his rhythm is good, he’s bowling well. So it’s important to get that mix.”
Both Arshdeep and Khaleel have previously featured in India’s limited-overs squads, but are yet to make their Test debuts.
Shastri also shared the idea of bringing back Shreyas Iyer to the Test squad, especially after his recent inclusion in India’s central contract list.
“He (Shreyas Iyer) can (make a comeback), but it’s again going to be a competition. White-ball, certain. Test cricket, we’ve got to see who the other players are around,” Shastri noted.
England will host India for a five-Test series – the first of the next cycle of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 – starting with the first Test in Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 20.
–IANS
bc/ab
Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by TodayIndia.news and while we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Through this website you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of TodayIndia.news We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.
Every effort is made to keep the website up and running smoothly. However, TodayIndia.news takes no responsibility for, and will not be liable for, the website being temporarily unavailable due to technical issues beyond our control.
For any legal details or query please visit original source link given with news or click on Go to Source.
Our translation service aims to offer the most accurate translation possible and we rarely experience any issues with news post. However, as the translation is carried out by third part tool there is a possibility for error to cause the occasional inaccuracy. We therefore require you to accept this disclaimer before confirming any translation news with us.
If you are not willing to accept this disclaimer then we recommend reading news post in its original language.
