Former cricketer Mohammad Kaif urged the Indian team management to bring in Sai Sudharsan into the playing XI instead of recalling another player into the squad to cover for the injured Shubman Gill in the second Test against South Africa. The Indian skipper is unlikely to feature in the crucial contest after sustaining a freak neck injury during the series opener at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Ad Gill’s absence would need India to tweak their batting unit once again as they need a replacement candidate for the middle order. Team India already have two batters in Sai Sudharsan and Devdutt Padikkal on the bench, while all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has also been recalled to the main squad from the India ‘A’ contingent. Fans and pundits have urged the team management to consider Ruturaj Gaikwad as an option for the second Test. However, Kaif implored the team management not to pursue such an option, and to use the players already in the squad itself, to avoid further confusion. Ad Trending He slammed the notion that Sai Sudharsan’s inclusion will lead to too many left-handers in the playing XI, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav already there. In fact, India named as many as six left-handed batters for the first time in their history during the first Test. “When you run so many theories like this, then you will never be able to back a good player. There is already too much thinking about left-handed and all that. It is a Test match, what difference does it make whether a batter is left-handed or right-handed when you have the skill, ability, and defence? If India consider bringing in another player when they are placed like this, just because your existing option is a left-handed batter, then what is the left-handed batter’s fault?” Kaif said on his YouTube channel. Ad “Sai Sudharsan does not just play left-arm spin well, he plays all types of spin well. He has struck sublime drives off Sunil Narine’s bowling in the IPL, and he is someone who bowls all types of spin. When most batters can’t even read him, a young player like Sai has smashed him,” he added. Ad Sai Sudharsan has scored two fours and a six off the 20 deliveries he has faced against Narine in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Overall, he has scored 26 runs at a strike rate of 130, while being dismissed once as well. During the home series against the West Indies, the left-handed batter was dismissed thrice by spinners. Opposition skipper Roston Chase took his wicket twice, while Jomel Warrican sent him back for 87 in the first innings of the second Test in Delhi. Ad “I request that don’t go out of the box once again” Mohammad Kaif pleads India to stick with the same squad for IND vs SA 2025 2nd Test Ruturaj Gaikwad has tapped into a rich vein of form since the beginning of the 2025-26 domestic season. The batter has smashed six scores over fifty across his last 10 innings across formats, which includes a sublime 184 in the Duleep Trophy while playing for the West Zone. Ad Depsite his pristine form, Kaif feels that the selectors should stick with the options already available on the bench. “India is already doing too much out of the box stuff, so I request that don’t go out of the box once again. Sai Sudharsan should be confirmed in the playing XI now, there should not be even bit of a doubt in the team management’s decision regarding this. Don’t think about bringing someone in from here and there. When you already have a player in the squad, who is already deserving, and someone you have benched after he scored 87,” Kaif said. Ad The former batter added that roping in Gaikwad will hamper Sudharsan’s morale, who has already been dropped multiple times in the early days of his career, despite being promised a long rope by the management. “What has Gaikwad done in Tests? We have already seen Sai hit 87 for India score runs in England, and is already in line, you will play him only, right? Just because you want a right-handed batter, you bring in a certain player? See, Gaikwad is a good player, but there is a certain way of doing things. Imagine what will happen to Sudharsan’s morale if Gaikwad is brought in,” he elaborated. Sai Sudharsan was dropped after his debut appearance at Headingley, Leeds during the 2025-26 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series opener. He was dropped once again for the first Test against South Africa as Team India went with four spinners and Washington Sundar at No. 3. × Feedback Why did you not like this content? Clickbait / Misleading Factually Incorrect Hateful or Abusive Baseless Opinion Too Many Ads Other Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda. Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news Edited by Gokul Nair.
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“You will never be able to back a good player” – Former India batter’s brutal comment on team combination for IND vs SA 2025 2nd Test
