Sai Sudharsan Makes IPL History Despite Titans' Loss
Sai Sudharsan's Remarkable Achievement
In a thrilling encounter at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium on April 4, Sai Sudharsan made headlines even as the Gujarat Titans (GT) faced a narrow defeat against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) by six runs in their second match of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. With two consecutive losses, the Titans are struggling to keep their playoff hopes alive. Sudharsan stepped up in the absence of captain Shubman Gill, scoring an impressive 73 runs off 44 balls in a challenging chase of 211 runs. His dismissal by Ravi Bishnoi marked the beginning of a collapse in the middle order.
Sai Sudharsan's Historic Milestone
Sudharsan has now entered the IPL record books by becoming the 43rd player to score 1000 runs as an opener in the league. Notably, at just 24 years old, he is the first among this group to maintain an average exceeding 50. Previously, KL Rahul held the highest average among openers, with Virat Kohli closely following.
Top Batting Averages in IPL History for Openers (1000+ runs)| Player | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
| Sai Sudharsan | 1014 | 53.36 | 157.45 | 2 | 7 |
| KL Rahul | 4419 | 48.56 | 138 | 5 | 36 |
| Virat Kohli | 5106 | 47.27 | 139.69 | 8 | 40 |
| Devon Conway | 1080 | 43.2 | 139.71 | 0 | 11 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 2330 | 42.36 | 136.71 | 0 | 17 |
Additionally, Sudharsan's strike rate of 157.45 ranks fifth among openers with over 1000 runs, trailing behind notable players like Travis Head and Sunil Narine. He reached the 1000-run milestone in just 20 innings, making him the fastest to achieve this feat, surpassing Lendl Simmons, who took 23 innings. Overall, Sudharsan has amassed 1879 runs in his IPL career, boasting an impressive average of 49.44, the highest among players with over 1000 runs, with Rahul in second place at 45.44.