Can Sudharsan and Gill Ignite Batting Fireworks with Conventional Shots in IPL 2025?

New Delhi, May 19 (NationPress) From the viewpoint of a batting connoisseur, the IPL 2025 match on Sunday between the Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was a mesmerizing display of strokeplay.

If KL Rahul set the stage ablaze with his spectacular 112 not out from 65 balls, both B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill elevated the excitement further by remaining undefeated with their innings of 108 off 61 balls and 93 off 53 deliveries, respectively. Their unbroken partnership of 205 runs propelled GT to a commanding ten-wicket victory and secured a playoff berth.

GT's chase of 200 with one over to spare marks the highest target ever successfully chased in IPL history without losing a wicket. A glance at the scorecard reveals that the match was dominated by three unbeaten innings from opening batsmen – Rahul, Sudharsan, and Gill – who collectively amassed 318 runs.

However, a deeper analysis indicates that aside from Rahul, the other batters struggled to score at a brisk pace. While a target of 200 seemed daunting initially, the manner in which Sudharsan and Gill played – showcasing exceptional control, classic strokeplay, and accumulating runs with minimal risk against a lackluster DC bowling attack – reinforced the idea that GT's openers have consistently demonstrated that one can create explosive batting fireworks while relying on traditional cricketing shots.

“Even someone like Rahul Dravid played T20 at the end of his career, or Ajinkya Rahane, who are both conventional batsmen. They still find ways to score runs using proper cricketing shots,” remarked GT assistant coach Aashish Kapoor during the post-match press conference.

It's quite astonishing to witness an opening pair thrive without straying from conventional batting techniques. Sudharsan and Gill, the top two run-scorers in IPL 2025, have made this approach work seamlessly. Together, they have accumulated 839 runs, boasting an impressive average of 76.27, alongside seven partnerships exceeding 50 runs, three of which surpassed the century mark.

Sudharsan struck four boundaries and a six from his first nine balls faced, including a remarkable 20 runs off his state-mate T Natarajan in the second over. Kapoor noted that Sudharsan's growth in aggressive strokeplay has been instrumental in forming an exceptional opening duo with Gill.

“They possess a strong understanding of the game. They’re intelligent players. Yes, we need to guide them at times, but Sudharsan is adept at analyzing his own game – he prefers to attack. His aggressive play involves hitting boundaries without excessively relying on sixes. He capitalizes on the right deliveries to hit sixes.”

“Most of his shots are classic cricketing attacking strokes along the ground, such as cut shots or flicks. This year, he has shown improvement in selecting these shots at the beginning of his innings, compared to last year.”

While Sudharsan reached his fifty off 30 balls, Gill took a bit longer to find his rhythm, initially scoring 21 off 19 balls after eight overs. However, he quickly shifted gears, hitting a six each off Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Vipraj Nigam in the next three overs before securing his fifty off 33 balls with a four off Dushmantha Chameera.

Kapoor praised Sudharsan for taking on the aggressive role early on, allowing Gill some breathing room before opening up his own batting. “Shubman was initially cautious and struggled with timing. However, he didn’t throw his wicket away, despite chasing a total of 200.”

“It's easy to become reckless chasing 200 runs, especially if you’re not timing the ball well. Yet, he remained composed, and Sai played a crucial role in this, continuously scoring runs at the start.”

“They didn’t feel pressured. Even when he wasn’t timing the ball well, Sai was playing beautifully, easing the pressure on Gill. Once Shubman found his rhythm, he played some exceptional shots.”

With precision akin to a finely-tuned clock, Sudharsan and Gill expertly located gaps in the outfield, their shots both precise and decisive. As the satisfying sound of their bats connecting with the ball reverberated through the stadium, it served as yet another affirmation from GT that conventional batting can yield thrilling results, leaving every batting enthusiast exhilarated on this run-filled Sunday night.