Warning bells ring for Team India ahead of the ENG Tests as Sai Sudharsan’s ex-coach drops worrying concerns

Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee picked two uncapped players for the forthcoming England tour, including batter Sai Sudharsan and seamer Arshdeep Singh. While the cricket community welcomed their selection, some doubts have been raised lately over Sai’s inclusion in the 18-man squad for the five Tests starting June 20 in Leeds.

Sai's former Tamil Nadu coach, Sulakshan Kulkarni, has expressed dissatisfaction over his technique in the challenging English conditions, ringing warning bells for Team India. Although the left-handed batter continues to make headlines in the ongoing IPL 2025, leading the run-scoring chart, hitting 679 runs in 14 contested matches thus far, Kulkarni feels his natural game could restrict him from scoring runs on seam-friendly pitches.

Sai’s IPL records in the past two years, alongside his first-class records, wherein he scored 1957 runs from 29 matches, make him a deserving candidate for the upcoming Test series, especially in Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s absence. His former coach, however, warned the selectors of making a dicey call by picking an under-cooker, Sai Sudharsan, for the England tour.

“His domestic record is not great. When I was the coach, I saw him play on a seaming track in at least two matches. And he didn’t play well there. His technique against the moving ball needs to improve,” Kulkarni said in an exclusive chat with Times of India (TOI).

Detailing where he feels Sai could lag in England, his ex-coach said that the left-hander tends to play away from his body, contradicting the whole mantra of succeeding in those conditions. His ex-coach also warned him against playing across more, urging him to play straight and closer to his body.

“He has a tendency of playing away from the body, while the secret of success in England is to play late and play the ball right under your nose. He has to curb some of his strokes and should play straight and close to the body. He has to work to get the technique right before the tour,” Kulkarni concluded.

Meanwhile, Sudharsan has spent some time with Surrey in the English county across two seasons (2023 and 2024), averaging close to 35. During his last stint with the County side, Sudharsan hit his maiden FC hundred in England while batting at number six.

He, however, would likely bat inside the top four if given a chance on the UK tour.