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Former Indian head coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri called for the inclusion of young left-hander Sai Sudharsan in the Indian squad for the fast-approaching five-match Test series in England, saying that his left-handed batting and technique make him one of his top choices to feature in the highly-anticipated series.
After the 3-1 series loss in Australia at the start of the year, which put paid to India's hopes of qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship Final, there were calls for the inclusion of fresh faces in the red-ball set up to reinvigorate the side ahead of the high-profile Test tour of England. Speaking with host Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review, Shastri threw his support behind Sudharsan following the 23-year-old's standout form in the ongoing IPL 2025. So far in nine matches, he has made 456 runs at an average of 50.66, a strike rate of 150, with five fifties and the best score of 82. Already capped in white-ball cricket, Sudharsan is yet to debut in Tests, but Shastri sees him as a future all-format player for India. So far, Sudharsan has played three ODIs, scoring 127 runs in three matches with two fifties. "I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all formats of the game," Shastri told The ICC Review as quoted by ICC.. "He seems like a class player and my eyes would be on him certainly." Sudharsan brings valuable experience in English conditions, having turned out for Surrey in the County Championship in 2023 and 2024. In five matches, he 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 will be top of the list for me from the outsiders wanting to get into this side," added Shastri. (ANI)
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