Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Sai Sudharsan recorded his third consecutive IPL season with over 500 runs on Tuesday (May 12). Batting against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, he scored 61 off 44 balls, taking his season’s tally to 501 runs after 12 innings, with a strike-rate of 155.10.
Overall, Sudharsan is the fourth batter in the IPL to breach the 500-mark in a season three consecutive times. He joins Chris Gayle (2011-13), Shikhar Dhawan (2019-21), and Virat Kohli (2023-25). KL Rahul did it for five seasons in a row (2018-22), while David Warner did it for six (2014-2020).
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But one thing separates Sudharsan and Gayle from the rest: only these two have managed
three back-to-back 500-plus seasons, with a strike rate of over 140. Sudharsan’s strike-rates in the last three seasons read: 141.29, 156.17, and 155.10, showing how the left-hander is not only consistent, but also explosive.
While Gayle was a legend for whom the batting surface didn’t matter, Sudharsan has made his name with his adaptability. Against SRH, he was presented with a sticky wicket and he managed to top-score for the team while helping them through the early rut of wickets.
“At the start, the surface was a bit soft and there was moisture in it,” Sudharsan said in the mid-innings break. “It was seaming around, and we also lost two early wickets, so it was my turn to take the game deep and have a decent total on the board… Probably 10 runs more would have been a cushion for us. But I think our bowlers will give their best and do the job for us. 175 to 180 would be a great score, but I think this is also a very good score for them. It’s par. I think hitting the good length and trying to swing and seam the ball will give the best possible opportunity for us because, even in the 11th, 12th and 13th overs, it was still seaming around. The wicket is still a bit sticky. I feel it suits our bowlers’ abilities, so I think it will be a good game,” he added.
