Former India head coach Ravi Shastri believes that Sai Sudharsan can do well in all formats of the game and has highly recommended the talented batter for India's forthcoming England Test series towards the end of the year.
India's campaign for the 2025-2027 World Test Championship will begin on the road as they are scheduled to play an away five-match series against England. Announcement of the team is eagerly anticipated, especially following India's recent failures in Tests—a 0-3 home loss to New Zealand and a 1-3 loss at home in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
Sudharsan, the second-leading run-scorer in the ongoing IPL season with 456 runs for Gujarat Titans, has left Shastri impressed with his finesse and versatility. The left-handed Sudharsan's strong technique and exposure to English domestic cricket make him a safe bet to excel on English pitches, believes the former coach.
India will start the England series with the first Test at Headingley on June 20.
"I see this kid, Sai Sudharsan, for all variations of the game," Shastri explained to The ICC Review in an interview.
"He looks like a class player and my eyes would definitely be on him. Being a left-armer in England, knowing English conditions, and just his technique, the way he plays, I feel he'll be at the top of my list among the outsiders looking to join this side," he said.
Shastri also identified Shreyas Iyer as a strong candidate for the tour, since he has played well in white-ball internationals and the IPL. However, he mentioned that Iyer would have to face tough competition for a place in the red-ball team.
"He (Shreyas Iyer) can (return), but it's again a fight. White-ball, sure. Test cricket, let's see what the other batsmen are there," Shastri added.
With injured speedsters Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami returning, Shastri pointed to how the diversity within the bowling setup, particularly in the left-arm seamer category, was missing.
"I'll look out for a left-armer. I'll be keeping tabs on which left-armer's in nick, and try to slot him in there as the sixth (bowling) choice," he added.
Referring to Arshdeep Singh's potential, Shastri rejected categorizing bowlers solely by format.
"It can be anybody. It can even be a white-ball specialist. I do not like this thing when they say someone like Arshdeep Singh is a 'white-ball specialist'," he said.
Shastri opined that Arshdeep, who has emerged as a mainstay in India's T20I side, has the temperament and intelligence to play red-ball cricket.
"I will keep a close eye on his red-ball record too and how many overs he bowls. If he can bowl 15-20 overs for me, he could very well be in the running because he's got the attitude. He's a thinking bowler and I need a left-armer. It's just that," he said.
"You need a left-armer, go and get him, whoever he is and whoever is the best among them – get them. There's Khaleel Ahmed, again his rhythm is good, he's bowling well. So it's necessary to have that blend," Shastri concluded.
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