Former India coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri has backed young left-handed batter Sai Sudharsan to be picked for India’s upcoming five-match Test series in England.

He believes Sudharsan’s batting style and solid technique make him one of the top candidates for the squad.

India’s 3-1 defeat in Australia earlier this year dashed their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship Final. Since then, many have been calling for fresh talent to revamp the red-ball team before the important England tour.

In a chat with Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review, Shastri praised the 23-year-old, who has been in great form in IPL 2025. In nine matches, Sudharsan has scored 456 runs at an average of 50.66 and a strike rate of 150, with five half-centuries and a top score of 82.

READY FOR A TEST DEBUT

Although he has already played three ODIs for India, scoring 127 runs with two fifties, he hasn’t yet made his Test debut. However, Shastri believes he has the potential to represent India across all formats.

Shastri said on The ICC Review, “I see this young man, Sai Sudharsan, for all formats of the game. He seems like a class player and my eyes would be on him certainly.”

Sudharsan also has experience playing in England, having represented Surrey in the County Championship in both 2023 and 2024.

Across five matches, he scored 281 runs, including a century and a fifty.

Classic Shot from Sai Sudharsan! 😎pic.twitter.com/sxC9MWJ5ZJ

— CricketGully (@thecricketgully) April 9, 2025

Overall, he has played 29 first-class matches, scoring 1,957 runs at an average of 39.93. He also hit a double-century for Tamil Nadu during the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy against Delhi.

Praising Sudharsan further, Shastri added, “Being a left-hander in England, knowing English conditions, and just his technique, the way he plays, I think he will be top of the list for me from the outsiders wanting to get into this side.”