Sai Sudharsan has moved well beyond being an IPL prospect. At 24, the Chennai-born left-hander has already played for India in Tests, ODIs and T20Is, won the IPL 2025 Orange Cap, and established himself as one of Gujarat Titans most important batters. Through IPL 2026, he has scored 2,515 runs in 57 matches, including three centuries, while continuing to build his first-class record.
His career has also taken a more complicated turn in 2026. After making 81 against Afghanistan in June, Sudharsan was ruled out of India Sri Lanka Test series because of a right-toe stress reaction. He returned through India A in September and made 57 and 39 against Australia A in Puducherry.
Sai Sudharsan profile at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Bhardwaj Sai Sudharsan |
| Date of birth | October 15, 2001 |
| Age | 24 years as of September 27, 2026 |
| Birthplace | Chennai, Tamil Nadu |
| Batting style | Left-handed |
| Bowling style | Right-arm leg-spin |
| Role | Top-order batter |
| IPL team | Gujarat Titans |
| India debut | ODI in 2023 |
| Test debut | 2025 vs England |
| T20I debut | 2024 vs Zimbabwe |
| IPL 2026 runs | 722 |
| IPL career runs | 2,515 |
| IPL 2026 contract value | ₹8.50 crore |
The personal details and international record are based on BCCI, ICC and current player-profile data; the IPL contract value comes from Gujarat Titans’ 2026 squad information.
Who is Sai Sudharsan?
Sai Sudharsan is an Indian top-order batter from Chennai who first attracted wider attention through Tamil Nadu domestic circuit and the Tamil Nadu Premier League. He bats left-handed and can bowl occasional leg-spin, but batting is his primary role. ICC describes him as a clean striker capable of playing shots around the wicket and adapting his approach according to the situation.
His rise has been unusually quick. He entered the IPL with Gujarat Titans in their first season in 2022 after being bought for his base price of ₹20 lakh. Within a little more than three years, he had become an IPL Orange Cap winner and an India Test player.
Early life and family background
Sudharsan grew up in a sporting household in Chennai. His father, R. Bharadwaj, represented India in athletics at the 1993 South Asian Games, while his mother, Usha Bharadwaj, played volleyball and later worked in athletic conditioning. Sudharsan initially took part in athletics himself before choosing cricket as his main sport.
That background is relevant to understanding the discipline built into his early development, but his cricket career was established through performances rather than family connections. He progressed through Tamil Nadu age-group and club cricket before moving into senior domestic cricket and the TNPL.
Domestic cricket breakthrough
The TNPL gave Sudharsan an important early platform. In the 2021 tournament, playing for Lyca Kovai Kings, he finished as the second-highest run-scorer. His performances helped him move into Tamil Nadu senior limited-overs setup, where he made his domestic debut in 2021.
His 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign was another major step. Sudharsan scored 610 runs in eight matches, making him one of the tournament leading run-scorers. He was also part of the Tamil Nadu side involved in the record 416-run opening partnership with Narayan Jagadeesan against Arunachal Pradesh. ICC records that partnership as the highest opening stand in List A cricket at the time.
The longer format then added another dimension to his game. During the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, Sudharsan produced a career-best 213 for Tamil Nadu against Delhi, his maiden double-century in first-class cricket.
2026 India A form
Before the September 2026 Australia A series, Sudharsan had produced two centuries during India A tour of Sri Lanka. He made 132 in the first unofficial Test and then 168 in the second, finishing that two-match series with 332 runs.
He then returned to action against Australia A in Puducherry. In the first multi-day match, he scored 57 in the first innings and 39 in the second as India A won by 162 runs. The second match is scheduled to begin on September 29.
Sai Sudharsan IPL career
2022: Gujarat Titans debut
Gujarat Titans selected Sudharsan for ₹20 lakh in the 2022 IPL auction. He made his IPL debut against Punjab Kings on April 8, 2022, scoring 35 from 30 balls. In his first season, he collected 145 runs in five matches.
GT went on to win the title in their debut season, giving Sudharsan his first IPL championship as a young squad member.
2023: The 96 in the IPL final
Sudharsan became much more prominent in IPL 2023. He scored 362 runs in eight innings at an average of 51.71 and finished the season with three fifties.
His defining performance came in the final against Chennai Super Kings. Batting under pressure, he hammered 96 from 47 deliveries with six sixes and eight fours, taking Gujarat Titans to 214/4 before rain shortened the match. CSK eventually won by five wickets under the revised target.
2024: First IPL century and the 1,000-run milestone
Sudharsan became GT leading run-scorer in IPL 2024, making 527 runs in 12 innings. His season included his first IPL century, a 103 from 51 balls against CSK in Ahmedabad.
That innings also brought one of his most notable milestones. Sudharsan reached 1,000 IPL runs in his 25th innings, becoming the fastest Indian to the mark at that point and surpassing Sachin Tendulkar and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who had reached it in 31 innings.
2025: Orange Cap winner
IPL 2025 was the biggest statistical season of Sudharsan career up to that point. He scored 759 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.21 and a strike rate of 156.17, finishing the tournament as the Orange Cap winner.
He also became the youngest Orange Cap winner in IPL history at that time, aged 23 years and 231 days. That age record lasted only one season: Rajasthan Royals Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became younger when he won the 2026 Orange Cap.
2026: 722 more runs
Sudharsan followed his Orange Cap season with another productive IPL campaign. In IPL 2026, he scored 722 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 157.99, including one century and eight fifties. He finished third in the tournament run-scoring table.
His hundred came against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he scored 100 from 58 balls. During that innings, he also passed 2,000 IPL runs in his 47th innings, becoming the fastest batter to reach that milestone in the competition.
Gujarat Titans reached the 2026 final, but RCB won the match by five wickets. Sudharsan made 12 from 12 balls in the final.
Sai Sudharsan international career
ODI debut
Sudharsan made his ODI debut for India against South Africa in Johannesburg on December 17, 2023. He began with an unbeaten 55 and followed it with another half-century in his second appearance. Across his three ODI matches to date, he has scored 127 runs at an average of 63.50, with a highest score of 62.
T20I debut
His T20I debut came against Zimbabwe in Harare on July 7, 2024. His international T20 career has remained limited so far: he has played one T20I but has not yet had a batting innings.
Test debut and progress
The next major step came in June 2025, when Sudharsan was selected for India five-Test tour of England. He made his Test debut at Headingley on June 20. In that three-Test series, he scored 140 runs, with a best of 61.
He added his first substantial home-season Test contributions later in 2025. Against West Indies in Delhi, he scored 87, his highest Test score to that point, and finished the two-Test series with 133 runs from three innings.
As of September 27, 2026, his Test record stands at 383 runs in seven matches, including three fifties. His latest Test appearance was against Afghanistan on June 6, 2026, when he scored 81.
Why Sai Sudharsan is effective as a batter
Sudharsan game is built around control, timing and the ability to accelerate without abandoning his basic technique. ICC highlights his clean hitting and range of strokes, while his domestic and IPL record shows that he can score quickly after establishing himself.
He has also shown that he is not limited to one format. His 213 in the Ranji Trophy demonstrated his ability to bat for long periods, while the 103 off 51 balls in IPL 2024 and 100 off 58 in IPL 2026 showed that he can shift gears effectively in T20 cricket.
Sai Sudharsan career stats
The following figures reflect his international and IPL career through the latest completed matches available by September 27, 2026.
| Format | Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 7 | 12 | 383 | 87 | 31.92 | 43.33 | 0 | 3 |
| ODIs | 3 | 3 | 127 | 62 | 63.50 | 89.44 | 0 | 2 |
| T20Is | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| IPL | 57 | 57 | 2,515 | 108* | 48.37 | 149.17 | 3 | 20 |
International figures are from BCCI’s current player profile; IPL figures are updated through the end of IPL 2026.
Major Sai Sudharsan records and milestones
Sudharsan career already includes several significant milestones:
- Fastest Indian to 1,000 IPL runs at the time: He reached the mark in 25 innings during IPL 2024.
- Fastest to 2,000 IPL runs: He crossed 2,000 in his 47th IPL innings against RCB in 2026.
- IPL 2025 Orange Cap: He scored 759 runs in 15 matches to finish as the tournament’s leading run-scorer.
- Big IPL final score: His 96 off 47 balls against CSK in the 2023 final remains one of the most memorable innings of his IPL career.
- Record List A opening partnership: He and Narayan Jagadeesan put together 416 for Tamil Nadu in the 2022 Vijay Hazare Trophy.
- First-class double century: He scored 213 against Delhi in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season.
Sai Sudharsan IPL team and salary
Gujarat Titans remain Sai Sudharsan IPL team.He was retained by the franchise for IPL 2026 at ₹8.50 crore and continued to be part of the core squad alongside Shubman Gill and other retained players.
This ₹8.50 crore figure is his reported IPL contract value. It should not be treated as his total annual income because cricketers can have additional earnings from international contracts, match fees and commercial activities.
BCCI 2025-26 annual contract list also placed Sudharsan in Grade C.
Sai Sudharsan net worth
There is no reliable official figure for Sai Sudharsan net worth. Various websites publish estimates, but those figures are not backed by audited financial information or an official disclosure from Sudharsan.
For that reason, a precise net worth number should not be presented as fact. His ₹8.50 crore IPL contract is verifiable, but his overall wealth cannot be established reliably from public information.
Does Sai Sudharsan have a wife?
There is no reliable public source confirming that Sai Sudharsan has a wife or has publicly announced a marriage. He generally keeps his personal life away from cricket coverage, so unverified relationship claims should not be treated as established facts.
For a factual profile, the safer position is to say that his marital status has not been publicly confirmed through a reliable first-party or major-news source.
Sai Sudharsan current status in 2026
Sudharsan latest international Test appearance was against Afghanistan in June 2026. He was subsequently ruled out of India Sri Lanka Test tour after the BCCI confirmed a right-toe stress reaction.
He later returned to competitive cricket for India A. The BCCI selected him as vice-captain of the multi-day squad against Australia A, and he scored 57 and 39 in the first match in Puducherry.
As of September 27, he is also not part of the India squads announced for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies. BCCI September 16 announcement lists the selected ODI and T20I squads without Sudharsan.
His immediate cricketing schedule includes the second India A multi-day game against Australia A beginning September 29, followed by the scheduled one-day matches in October.
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FAQs
How old is Sai Sudharsan?
Sai Sudharsan was born on October 15, 2001, in Chennai. He is 24 years old as of September 27, 2026, and will turn 25 on October 15, 2026.
Which IPL team does Sai Sudharsan play for?
He plays for Gujarat Titans and has remained with the franchise since making his IPL debut in 2022. He was retained for IPL 2026 at ₹8.50 crore.
How many IPL runs has Sai Sudharsan scored?
Through IPL 2026, Sudharsan has scored 2,515 runs in 57 matches at an average of 48.37 and a strike rate of 149.17. He has three IPL centuries and 20 fifties.
What is Sai Sudharsan highest IPL score?
His highest IPL score is 108 not out.
When did Sai Sudharsan make his India debut?
He made his ODI debut against South Africa on December 17, 2023. His T20I debut followed in July 2024, and he made his Test debut against England on June 20, 2025.
