Ravi Shastri makes honest admission about Sai Sudharsan’s chances for England Tests amid ongoing Purple patch in IPL

Ravi Shastri backed Sai Sudharsan's inclusion in India's Test squad for the England tour, citing his outstanding performance in the 2025 IPL season.

Ravi Shastri makes honest admission about Sai Sudharsan’s chances for England Tests amid ongoing Purple patch in IPL

Ravi Shastri backed Sai Sudharsan's inclusion in India's Test squad for the England tour. (via BBC)

Former India coach Ravi Shastri advocated for Gujarat Titans opener Sai Sudharsan to be included in the Indian Test squad, for the upcoming England tour. The support comes in light of the 23-year-old’s impressive form in the 2025 IPL season, where he remains the one of the highest run-getters. 

Sai Sudharsan has been in the form of his life in the IPL this season, having scored 504 runs in just 10 outings for GT, at an average of 50.40 and a strike rate of 154.13. He most recently, became the fastest to cross the 1500-run mark in the IPL, achieving the record in just 35 innings, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 44 innings. Sudharsan also became the fastest Indian player to score 2000 runs in T20s.

While Sudharsan did make his debut for the Indian ODI team back in 2023, he is yet to break into the Test setup. The 23-year-old, is being seen as a viable option by many former players and critics, to take up a top-spot in the Indian side, owing to his abilities and consistency. Moreover, India’s back-to-back Test Series defeats, to New Zealand and Australia, has sparked widespread calls for fresh faces in the team.

The Men in Blue are looking to rejuvenate the squad ahead of the upcoming red-ball tour to England. As India gears up to face England in a five-match Test series, former India coach Ravi Shastri opined that GT’s Sai Sudharsan should be included in the squad. Shastri, praising the 23-year-old’s standout display in the IPL, noted that he is among the outsiders, wanting to get into the Indian red-ball team.

Speaking on the ICC Review, the 62-year-old World Cup winner lauded Sai Sudharsan’s class and elegance, while claiming that he could be an all-format player for India, in the coming years. Moreover, Shastri added that Sai Sudharsan’s knowledge of the harsh English conditions, owing to his short County stint, and his vast technical abilities, could help India during its upcoming Test tour to England.

He [Sai Sudharsan] seems like a class player…Being a left-hander, knowing English conditions, and just his technique, I think he’ll be top of the list for me from the outsiders wanting to get into this side.

Ravi Shastri on Sai Sudharsan (H/T India Today)

The Tamil Nadu opener did play in the County Championship, England’s premier first-class domestic cricket competition. He was picked up by Surrey for two games in the 2023 County Championship, where he scored 116 runs at an average of 38.66. He also represented Surrey in 2024, scoring 165 runs in three matches with a century against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge. 

India’s Test series against England begins in the month of June, and it will be interesting to see who makes it into the squad, amid the stiff competition. The series opener will be played at Headingley in Leeds, followed by matches in Edgbaston, Lord’s, Old Trafford and Kennington Oval.

Ravi Shastri backs Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed for a spot in India’s Test squad for the England tour

Former India cricketer and head coach Ravi Shastri vouched for the inclusion of a left-arm pacer in India’s Test squad, for the upcoming five-match red-ball series in England. He named Punjab Kings’ Arshdeep Singh and Chennai Super Kings’ Khaleel Ahmed as two of his picks for the position. 

Ravi Shastri on Khaleel Ahmed and Arshdeep Singh
Ravi Shastri picked Khaleel Ahmed and Arshdeep Singh as two pacers, who could make it to the Indian Test squad for the England tour. (via Hindustan Times)

Both Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed have featured in India’s limited-overs squads. Ravi Shastri floated the idea of picking a left-arm pacer for the England tour, as a sixth bowling option. He added that Arshdeep could be a good pick, keeping in mind that he is a ‘thinking’ bowler. Khaleel on the other hand, Shastri noted, has good bowling rhythm, and suitable for harsh English conditions. 

Arshdeep Singh has shown promise in red-ball cricket, with 66 wickets in 21 first-class matches. His recent stint with Kent in the 2024 County Championship, could also prove valuable. Khaleel Ahmed on the other hand, was India’s travelling reserve at the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.