B. Sai Sudharsan had to work his fingers to the bone in domestic cricket, prove his mettle on the green tops of Surrey, and then annihilate bowlers in the Indian Premier League 2025 to finally break down the proverbial selectors’ door and earn his maiden Test call-up for the England series on Saturday.

As he addressed the media ahead of the Gujarat Titans’ final league game against the Chennai Super Kings, the Orange Cap holder looked visibly elated. He said, “It feels great, special, and surreal. Any young cricketer who wants to start playing cricket wants to play Tests for the country. That’s the ultimate goal.”

Sai Sudharsan got on a call with his near and dear ones once he received the news. “I had a FaceTime call with my parents, brother, some family friends, and close friends. They were very happy, and I could see that on their faces. It’s just the start. There’s a lot more to add to the story.”

The 23-year-old is ‘grateful’ to have Shubman Gill, his IPL captain, double up as his Test skipper. “I’ve been a part of Shubman’s growth. I have seen him for the last four years – such a talented and skillful batter. He will bring laurels to the country. I am very happy to play under him in my first Test series.”

Sridharan Sriram, CSK’s assistant bowling coach, also heaped praise on the batter. “He (Sai Sudharsan) is an amazing player. There is no doubt about it. The way he has blossomed as a batter over the past 24 months is just phenomenal. And if you purely look at it from a Tamil Nadu point of view, it is great for our State that a boy of such calibre is coming up the ranks. Can’t wait for him to make his Test debut and make our State and the country proud. I think he will end up as one of the best batters Tamil Nadu has had.”