India batter Sai Sudharsan has opened up about one of the toughest moments of his early cricket career, recalling how he was dropped from the Tamil Nadu U19 state team and broke down during the journey home. Speaking on the Mashable India YouTube channel, Sudharsan revealed that the setback came during a tournament in Tripura. The young batter admitted that being left out of the state side was a major blow and that he spent the entire journey back to Chennai in tears.
However, meeting his parents helped him regain his composure. Interestingly, the setback came on December 31, giving Sudharsan a symbolic opportunity to start afresh with the new year. Instead of allowing the disappointment to derail him, he used it as motivation to work harder and fight his way back into the team.
“When I was in U19, I got dropped from the state side once. It was like a proper hit to me. We were in Tripura. I was coming back from there and in the whole journey I was crying. The moment I landed in Chennai, when I saw my parents, I was fine,” Sai Sudharsan recalled.
ALSO READ: Shubman Gill Sets Sights On WTC Final After India’s Dominant Win Over Sri Lanka
The left-hander has since established himself as an important name in Indian cricket. He was initially selected for India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka tour, subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence. However, a right toe injury prevented him from recovering in time, forcing him to miss the two-Test series.
Bond of captain Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan is so precious 🫶🏻 pic.twitter.com/P0E8j8UGF6
— Lily|🇮🇳 (@offolily) August 18, 2026
Sai Sudharsan also spoke about his connection with Chennai Super Kings and admitted that facing his hometown franchise in the IPL carries a special significance. He recalled growing up as a CSK fan and even chasing the team bus whenever it passed near his school.
“I always love playing against CSK because when we grew up, we were watching CSK. I used to run behind the bus when they crossed our school,” he said.
ALSO READ: Dhananjaya de Silva Admits KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal Put Sri Lanka Under Pressure
The youngster has become a key figure in Gujarat Titans’ batting lineup. He played a major role in the franchise’s run to the IPL 2026 final and finished as the tournament’s third-highest run-scorer. Sudharsan accumulated 722 runs in 17 innings at an impressive strike rate of 157.98, further underlining his growth from a young batter battling disappointment in Tamil Nadu’s U19 setup to one of India’s most promising contemporary top-order players.
