3 min readMay 30, 2026 06:05 PM IST
Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan have put on 11 century-partnerships as openers together for the Gujarat Titans. They got their 11th in a crucial qualifier-2 game against the Rajasthan Royals on Friday. Both of them, unlike other opening partnerships in this tournament, are more orthodox and have been able to hurt the bowlers through a more conventional style of batting.
Former IPL winner Ambati Rayudu predicted that Gill-Sudharsan might be the opening combination India should consider for the World Cup 2028, which will be held in Australia and New Zealand.
“I think we are witnessing a pair that might travel to Australia and tackle the conditions there. The wicket was very similar in pace and bounce. And the ease with which these two are batting…I’ll be surprised if both of them don’t go there,” Rayudu said on ESPN Cricinfo.
“If conditions suit them, if you take a Gill, you would like to take Sudharsan as well, because they both complement each other beautifully. You are seeing it in the partnership; they both know each other’s game very well. It’s a great add-on if you want them to excel in different conditions,” he added.
“I am not saying others are not good…It just might be that they both might be more suitable than the others,” Rayudu said.
Former Australian cricketer Tom Moody chipped in with his opinion and, on a lighter note, said, “Send two teams.”
“They might end up playing the final,” said former World Cup-winning captain Aaron Finch (laughs)
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“The depth…they have got is just phenomenal. But again, you are looking at the micro space of IPL; you need to look at the bigger picture. We all get carried away with what happens in IPL. But international cricket is on a different level again,” Moody warned.
“We have seen it dictate selection in all forms of the game, haven’t we…have a good IPL that can get you selected in the Test team,” he said.
“That’s my point: is that the right path? Yes! You identify the talent. It should not force you to pick that talent then. I think a bigger story needs to be had to qualify for a position,” he concluded.
