New Delhi, April 5 (NationPress) Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared insights on Sai Sudharsan's impressive performance for the Gujarat Titans in the absence of captain Shubman Gill. He noted that Sudharsan's approach at the start of his innings reflected a strong understanding of his abilities.

Sudharsan played a remarkable innings, scoring 73 runs off just 44 deliveries, although it wasn't sufficient to secure victory, as the Titans lost crucial wickets during critical moments, resulting in a painful defeat during their inaugural home match of the season at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday night.

"With Shubman unavailable today, Sai Sudharsan had to shoulder the responsibility. His innings began in a manner that showcased his awareness of his strengths. He skillfully utilized pace, directing the ball towards third man, and executed excellent cover drives off the front foot. He aggressively challenged Ravindra Jadeja as soon as he entered the attack, capitalizing on the pace with a well-timed slog sweep," Ashwin remarked on JioStar.

Gill was sidelined due to a muscle spasm for the GT's clash against Rajasthan Royals, with Rashid Khan stepping in as captain. Ashwin believes that when Gill returns, the opening partnership with Sudharsan will be crucial for the Titans' progression.

"Sudharsan's strong points are what he relies upon, and he achieved great results. He must continue to play with this intent and maintain a good tempo while carrying the innings. Missing Shubman Gill was indeed a significant blow for the Titans. Thus, when Shubman comes back, this opening partnership will be vital for their future matches," he added.

Following a thrilling victory against the Titans, the Royals have now claimed two consecutive wins. After a dominant performance against the Chennai Super Kings in their opener, the Royals currently lead the standings with four points and a Net Run Rate of +2.233—the highest among all teams to date.

While defending 210 runs, Rajasthan faced pressure in the final stages of Gujarat’s chase, as stand-in captain Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada threatened to orchestrate a remarkable finish. As the match approached its last two overs, skipper Riyan Parag stated that the strategy was to attack the stumps with pace to prevent the batters from scoring freely.

He disclosed that he initially contemplated changing the bowling order for the death overs but ultimately decided to stick with Jofra Archer for the penultimate over, following a timely suggestion from Dhurv Jurel, and assigned the final over to Tushar Deshpande, who successfully defended 10 runs in the last over to secure a second consecutive win.

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan emphasized that this victory, along with key decisions made at the end, will significantly boost Riyan Parag's confidence as a captain.

"This was the best game of the season thus far. It was crucial for Rajasthan that Riyan Parag earns respect while leading the team. He made a tough call in the last over, and that decision paid off for Rajasthan, which will bolster his confidence as a leader. He opted for Jofra Archer in the 19th over, which is typically reserved for more seasoned bowlers," he explained.

"Jofra utilized his experience and pace effectively, denying any room to both Rabada and Rashid Khan, who were in good form. That over set the stage perfectly for Tushar Deshpande; had GT scored 10 runs off it, they would have clinched the game. Jofra delivered a special over. Kudos to Tushar Deshpande for keeping his composure and executing precise yorkers, one after the other, to guide his team to victory," Pathan concluded.