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Sai Sudharsan lifts the lid on how powerful chat with Gautam Gambhir’s set him free: ‘Don’t get desperate…'
Sai Sudharsan said head coach Gautam Gambhir has given him unstinting support to pursue his philosophy of cricket.
Team India batter Sai Sudharsan has shed light on a crucial intervention that helped turn his form around during the West Indies Test series. Sudharsan revealed that a detailed conversation with head coach Gautam Gambhir was the source of a much-needed mental reset. He credited the chat with significantly boosting his confidence and helping him regain clarity at the crease.
Sudharsan has played five matches so far and scored 273 runs at an average of 30.33 with two fifties, but those numbers might seem a bit underwhelming.
But the Tamil Nadu batter said head coach Gambhir has given him unstinting support to pursue his philosophy of cricket.
“To be honest, support was impeccable. I can give an anecdote. We were practicing in Ferozshah Kotla (ahead of the 2nd Test against the West Indies).
"I was the last to nets, and GG sir called me and said: ‘Don’t get desperate, you are here because of so many reasons, you are one of the best players in the country.
"So, do not think about any other things or do not think about whether I have to score runs in this game or what will happen or what not. He told me, "you will play, and the way he told that to me gave me so much confidence and so much freedom,” said Sudharsan.
Sudharsan reveals chat with Gambhir changed his perspective
Sudharsan opened up on the positive influence of Gambhir, revealing how his words helped him shed pressure, play with freedom, and approach the game with a clearer mindset despite the expectations surrounding him.
“I was trying to be more free, trying not to think about all the external factors and the magnitude, but when you hear it from the head coach, you suddenly get that freedom, the perspective and the environment change drastically," he added.
Meanwhile, Sudharsan is set to feature in the two four-day games for India A against South Africa A, a crucial opportunity for the young batter to fine-tune his red-ball game ahead of the senior team’s upcoming two-match Test series against the Proteas later this month. He will be acting as Rishabh Pant's deputy in the India A matches.
