Gujarat Titans player Sai Sudharsan shared his thoughts after the team’s win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday. He mentioned how important Jos Butler’s experience was during the middle overs and in making sure they finished strong in the last five overs. Speaking at the post-match press conference, Sai pointed out that Butler’s knowledge played a big role, especially considering they were playing on a tricky pitch. “It helps to have that left-right combo and an experienced player at numbers 3 and 4. You can see Butler really brings a lot of experience and knowledge that helps us settle down in the middle overs and finish the last five overs strong. I thought it was great, especially since the pitch wasn’t easy,” Sai said.
He also remarked on how tough the wicket was, mentioning that even RCB struggled in their innings. However, he noted that the pitch seemed to get a bit easier during the second half of the game. He praised bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for their excellent performance, saying, “Even RCB found it tough in the first half, but I felt it eased up a bit in the second half. They got off to a good start, and the way Josh and Bhuvi bowled was fantastic. Our plan was to take the game deep because the wicket wasn’t behaving the way we hoped it would.”
Sai emphasized just how important it was to keep wickets in hand when chasing down a low target against a strong bowling team like RCB. “After the first 8-9 overs, it started to get better for us, and we made the most of it. When chasing a low target on a tough wicket against RCB, who’s one of the best bowling teams this season, having wickets in hand is key,” he explained.
He also talked about how his practice sessions with the high-quality bowlers at Gujarat Titans helped him. Sai felt that this time with experienced international players has taught him how to face different challenges on the field. His experiences playing for India and other leagues have also added to his understanding of the game. “The practice I get with the Titans and our international bowlers really helps. In the nets, I’ve been exposed to a lot of tough conditions. I’ve learned a lot over the past three years, and playing for India and in other leagues has given me a better understanding of the game and its fundamentals.”
On the topic of fielding, despite some dropped catches, he stood up for his teammates, saying that they’re still solid fielders who work hard during practice. He thinks the dropped catches could be due to getting used to various pitch and lighting conditions at different venues, as each one is unique. “I believe the guys who dropped catches are still good fielders, and we practice fielding a lot. I think it’s just about adapting to the different grounds and lighting. Ahmedabad is different from Bangalore, and Hyderabad will be different too. We might just need some time to get used to those changes,” he added.
After winning the toss, Gujarat Titans chose to bowl first. RCB managed to get to 170 runs, which was a good bowling display from Gujarat. While chasing, they lost their captain Shubman Gill early on at 14 runs, but strong performances from Jos Buttler (73 not out off 39 balls, hitting five fours and six sixes), Sai Sudharsan (49 off 36 balls, with seven fours and a six), and Sherfane Rutherford (30 not out off 18 balls, hitting a four and three sixes) helped GT secure a win with 13 balls left and eight wickets in hand.
