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Gujarat Titans (GT) openers Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill are in contention for the orange cap with 600-plus runs in the bag already. Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Qualifier 2, their strike rate has come under the scanner, especially Sudharsan’s. There will be a stark difference between Sudharsan and Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Sudharsan would play the anchor role whereas Sooryavanshi would bring a storm with him. Sudharsan has amassed 652 runs in the season, 38 less than Sooryavanshi but his strike rate is 157.86, the lowest among top 10 run-scorers in the season. But, GT assistant coach Parthiv Patel would not ask Sudharsan to bat at a higher strike rate. He believes that the youngster is scoring at a 'fair strike rate'.
"No, I don't think there is any kind of temptation to tell Sai Sudharsan to go at a higher strike-rate," Parthiv said in the pre-game press conference in Mullanpur on May 28.
"He has been very effective. He has been scoring at a fair strike-rate also. It's not that he is scoring under 100. If someone is scoring at 300, it doesn't mean that everyone has to strike at 300. But he has been very effective. He is giving us results. So, there is no talk about telling Sudharsan that you need to go higher than 170 strike rate or 200".
Sudharsan and Gill’s big numbers but similar strike rates
Sudharsan's consistency is what matters to GT. He has scored seven fifties in the season already, most by any batter. He scored a century as well. Despite a bizarre hit-wicket dismissal in Qualifier 1 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), he is still a contender for the orange cap.
Sudharsan's opening partner Gill does not have much higher strike rate either. From 14 innings, he has scored 618 runs at a strike rate of 159.27, including six fifties.
Why Sudharsan, Gill bat the way they do
However, Sudharsan-Gill’s traditional T20 strike rates have a reason behind it. GT lack too much firepower in their middle order. Once the top order collapses, they have rarely gone on to post a big score. The plan has often worked for GT, helped them finish in the second place on the points table. In Qualifier 1, it was skipper Rajat Patidar’s 33-ball 93 that took the target far away from their reach. They would be looking to avoid a similar situation against Sooryavanshi who scored a 29-ball 97 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Eliminator.
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