Gujarat Titans batter Sai Sudharsan bagged four prize cheques of INR 4 lakh after the conclusion of the rain-curtailed Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final on the reserve day. He bagged the prize cheques of INR 1 lakh each for the Game Changer of the Final, Most Valuable Player of the Final, Super Fours of the Final, and Longest Six of the Final. It was the most number of individual awards bagged by any player in the IPL 2023 final. Thanks to his heroic 96-run knock in the final, Gujarat Titans recorded the highest-ever total of 214 runs in an IPL final.
But his valiant effort went in vain as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) chased down the revised target of 171 runs in the final delivery of the 15th over to win the final by five wickets (DLS method). However, it was the crucial contribution from Sudhasrsan, including eight boundaries and six sixes, that kept GT alive in the match till the end. The 48-ball not only recorded his career-best score in the lucrative tournament but also stamped him as one of the most reliable top-order batters in the franchise. His knock also broke the nine-year long-standing record of most runs scored by an uncapped player in the IPL final, besides becoming the second youngest player to score a half-century in the summit clash at the age of 21 years and 226 days.
The southpaw was bought by the Ahmedabad-based franchise for the base price of INR 20,00,000 in the IPL 2022 auction on the back of his impressive performance in the Tamil Nadu State Division 1 tournament and the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). It is a no-brainer that Sudharsan will be retained by the IPL 2023 runners-up for his fine showing in the upcoming season. His fine run in the IPL 2023 final might also raise his stakes in the franchise after he was retained for INR 20,00,000 for the just-concluded season.
The Tamil Nadu prodigy accumulated 362 runs in eight matches in the IPL 2023 at a staggering strike rate of 141.41. He hit three fifties, including 33 boundaries and 12 sixes, this season. Sudharsan earns INR 1,42,857 per match in the lucrative tournament, and the value of his sixes combined is INR 17,14,285.
Interestingly, his value in the TNPL is higher compared to the IPL. He became the highest-paid player ever in the TNPL after being bought for INR 21,60,000 by Lyca Kovai Kings in the 2023 auction. His per-match value in the TNPL is INR 308,571. Each franchise plays seven matches in the league stage of the TNPL, making his per-match value INR 1,65,714 higher than his income in the IPL.
In the TNPL 2022, Sudharsan was the fifth-highest run-scorer in the league. He amassed 336 runs at an average of 48.00 and a strike rate of 140.58. The TNPL 2023, slated to get underway on June 12, will be another important season for the youngster to add to his experience in the shortest format.
