'He himself messaged me': Sai Sudarshan reveals details about his call with Williamson

Gujarat Titans batsman Sai Sudharsan played an excellent knock of 96 off just 47 balls against the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023 final but unfortunately ended up on the losing side. However, Sudharsan received a lot of praise for his performance throughout the season as he made 362 runs in eight matches, at an average of 51.71 and a strike rate of 141.41. 

Gujarat Titans batsman Kane Williamson was ruled out of the whole season due to an injury he sustained while fielding during the inaugural match of the Indian Premier League 2023 against Chennai Super Kings. Williamson had to immediately leave for New Zealand afterwards but was constantly cheering his team from home. 

I was having a conversation with him over the phone: Sai Sudharsan 

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Now, Sai Sudharsan while speaking on ESPNcricinfo has explained how Kane Williamson called him after the final match and congratulated him for his innings.  “My role was to take the game deep same as Kane’s role. Even a few weeks back, after he had left for New Zealand, I was having a conversation with him over the phone. He’s sweet. How sweet? He himself messaged me saying I could call him anytime and have a conversation over cricket anytime. Even last night, Kane texted me: “Very happy. You’ve done a great job!” I feel very happy that I tried my best to fill in Kane’s role. Our roles were fixed during the preparatory camp before the start of the IPL. With that role, I tried to enhance my game and it worked out I feel.”  

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'I still get goosebumps...': Sai Sudharsan 

However, after the final match while his team was giving him a standing ovation for his innings, he further added up on his feeling regarding the same.  “I still get goosebumps when I think about the reception from the dugout. The amount of confidence or the amount of support from my teammates or support staff. Obviously me, Vijay anna, Sai Kishore are very close and share everything together. Vijay anna gave me my first TN cap. We speak a lot about cricket and life as well. To contribute in a big final and put the team in a superb position gives me a sense of satisfaction. Obviously, I didn’t score a hundred, but I felt a sense of satisfaction when I walked back to the dugout", Sai Sudharsan added.