SMAT 2025/26: Sai Sudharsan hammers his third T20 ton
What's the story
Sai Sudharsan's blistering century helped Tamil Nadu clinch a three-wicket victory over Saurashtra in the 2025/26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy fixture on Monday. The match, played at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, saw Sudharsan score an unbeaten 101 (55). Despite Tamil Nadu being down to 95/4, Sudharsan held his ground and guided his team to victory with eight balls remaining. Here are the key stats.
Match highlights
Sudharsan's century leads Tamil Nadu to victory
Tamil Nadu, who were set a challenging target of 184 runs, were down to 29/3 in the fourth over. However, a 66-run stand between Sudharsan and Rithik Easwaran kept the required run-rate in check. After the latter's dismissal, Sudharsan nearly single-handedly carried Tamil Nadu toward victory. A quickfire 30 off just nine balls from all-rounder Sunny Sandhu later helped the team chase down the target. Sudharsan's 55-ball knock was laced with 10 fours and 4 sixes.
Performance
Sudharsan bounces back in style
Sudharsan's performance in the match comes as a relief after his struggles in Test cricket. He was criticized for his lack of performance after being promoted to the No. 3 spot in India's Test team by head coach Gautam Gambhir. However, he has been able to find his footing with Tamil Nadu after India's loss against South Africa in Guwahati.
Stats
Third T20 ton for Sudharsan
As mentioned, Sudharsan raced to his third century in T20 cricket. Two of his centuries have come in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In 66 T20s, the left-handed batter has racked up 2,436 runs at an average of 43.21. His strike rate in the format is 139.07. Sudharsan also has 15 half-centuries to his name. In his previous match, he smashed 64 against Jharkhand, albeit in a losing cause.