Ravi Shastri Advocates for Sai Sudharsan's Inclusion in India's Test Squad Against England

Shastri's Call for Sudharsan

New Delhi: Ravi Shastri, the former head coach of the Indian cricket team, has expressed his support for including Sai Sudharsan, the opener for Gujarat Titans, in the national squad for the upcoming five-match Test series in England. This recommendation comes after Sudharsan's impressive performance in IPL 2025.

The 23-year-old has amassed over 456 runs in nine matches, positioning himself as a strong contender for the orange cap, trailing only Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians, who has scored 475 runs in 11 games. Sudharsan has also hit five half-centuries, significantly contributing to the Titans' top-four standing as the league nears its conclusion.

During a recent episode of The ICC Review, Shastri praised Sudharsan, who has played three ODIs for India but is yet to debut in Test cricket, labeling him a potential all-format player for the country.

Shastri remarked, "I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all formats of the game. He seems like a class player and my eyes would be on him certainly."

Sudharsan's experience in English conditions is noteworthy, having played for Surrey in the County Championship during 2023 and 2024, where he scored 281 runs in five matches, including a century and a fifty.

Overall, in 29 first-class matches, he has accumulated 1957 runs at an average of 39.93, highlighted by a double-century in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season for Tamil Nadu against Delhi in October 2024.

Shastri added, "Being a left-hander in England, knowing English conditions, and just his technique, the way he plays, I think he’ll be top of the list for me from the outsiders wanting to get into this side."

Additionally, Shastri emphasized the need for a left-arm pacer in the squad to adapt to the seam-friendly English conditions, suggesting Arshdeep Singh as a viable candidate.

"I’ll be looking for a left-armer. I’ll be keeping an eye on which left-armer is in good form, and try and squeeze him in there as the sixth (bowling) option. It could be anyone. It could even be a white-ball specialist. I don’t like this thing when they say someone like Arshdeep Singh is a ‘white-ball specialist’."

"I’ll keep a close eye on his red-ball record as well and the number of overs he bowls. If he can bowl 15-20 overs for me, he might very well be in the mix because he’s got the mindset. He’s a thinking bowler and I need a left-armer. It’s just that," he explained.

Arshdeep has shown potential in red-ball cricket, taking 66 wickets in 21 first-class matches. His recent performance with Kent in the 2024 County Championship saw him claim 13 wickets in five games, gaining crucial experience in English conditions.

"You need a left-armer, go and find him, whoever it is and whoever the best of the lot is – pick them. There’s Khaleel Ahmed, who again, his rhythm is good, he’s bowling well. So it’s important to get that mix," Shastri noted.

Khaleel, with 52 wickets in 19 first-class matches, has also caught the attention of selectors. He participated in the Australia tour, initially with India A and later as a reserve for the Border-Gavaskar series, although an injury limited his involvement.

Shastri also mentioned the possibility of reintroducing Shreyas Iyer to the Test squad, especially after his recent addition to India’s central contract list.

"He (Shreyas Iyer) can (make a comeback), but it’s again going to be a competition. White-ball, certain. Test cricket, we’ve got to see who the other players are around," Shastri remarked.

India is set to face England in a five-Test series, marking the beginning of the next cycle of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27, with the first Test scheduled to take place at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 20.