Former Indian Test opener Navjot Singh Sidhu has tipped Sai Sudharsan as the future of Indian cricket. Sudharsan scored an impressive knock of 38 runs off 108 balls on the opening day of the fifth Test match against England at the Kennington Oval, London.
The left-hander showed all the patience in his innings before he received a peach of a delivery from Josh Tongue. Sudharsan had also scored 61 runs in the first innings of the fourth Test match at Old Trafford.
The southpaw has the right temperament for the big stage and looks calm and composed under pressure. Sudharsan had also top-scored in IPL 2025, amassing 759 runs for Gujarat Titans.
Navjot Singh Sidhu said on his YouTube Channel, “Look at Sai Sudharsan. I’ve been saying since the IPL days that he is the future of Indian cricket. In spite of what anyone in the world may or may not say, just look at his head position, look at how well-balanced he is. Watch how his body weight transfers, see his effortless cricket. He picks the line so quickly and plays fluently on both sides, off and on side, off the back foot and the front foot. These are the two strong aspects, what we call gains. You know, these gains will ease our pains.”
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill was run out after scoring 21 runs off 35 balls. Gill wanted a quick single but made poor judgment as the ball was close to the bowler, Gus Atkinson. Sidhu slammed Gill for throwing his wicket away on a difficult pitch.
“There is no excuse for the run out of Shubman Gill. Two crucial run outs have happened. One was at Lord’s after a 120-run partnership when KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were batting. That unnecessary single they took, I don’t know what happened. It was like inviting trouble. You know the saying, invite trouble and it usually comes. That was like saying, come trouble, embrace me. And when you do that, trouble crushes you like an elephant steps on an ant,” Sidhu said.
“Shubman Gill, once he crosses 20, I start seeing a long hundred. Whether it’s a grassy pitch or not, you don’t murder a man who’s trying to commit suicide. That was harakiri. He didn’t realize it, but just like kamikaze pilots who would destroy the enemy and themselves in the process, here the enemy wasn’t even harmed and he brought about his own downfall. I think he has to learn from his mistakes because this run out was so crucial for India today. A set batsman who could have easily gone on to score a hundred, a sheet anchor. It felt like England had already taken down half the team,” he continued.
India ended the day’s play at 204-6.
