Gujarat Titans batter Sai Sudharsan etched his name in the annals of cricketing history, achieving the remarkable feat of becoming the quickest Indian player to reach the 1000-run milestone in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In a thrilling match between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, the left-handed batsman Sai Sudharsan made history. It was in the 11th over when he smashed two consecutive sixes off CSK’s Simarjeet Singh, bringing up his 1000th run in the IPL. At that point, Sudharsan had scored 71 runs from just 38 deliveries.
What made Sudharsan’s achievement even more remarkable was the speed at which he reached the milestone. Taking just 25 innings to reach 1000 runs, he surpassed cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who took 31 innings each to achieve the same feat. Tendulkar accomplished this milestone in 2022, while Gaikwad followed suit later that year.
Notably, Sudharsan became the first Indian player to cross the 1000-run mark in the IPL in fewer than 30 innings. While the overall record is held by Australia’s Shaun Marsh, who reached 1000 runs in just 21 innings, Sudharsan’s achievement places him joint third with Matthew Hayden, both achieving the milestone in 25 innings. Lendl Simmons of West Indies follows closely behind, achieving the feat in 23 innings. Sudharsan’s accomplishment not only cements his place in IPL history but also underscores his exceptional talent and skill with the bat.
Fastest to 1000 runs in IPL:
| Player | Matches |
| Shaun Marsh | 21 |
| Lendl Simmons | 23 |
| Matthew Hayden | 25 |
| Sai Sudharsan | 25 |
| Jonny Bairstow | 26 |
| Chris Gayle | 27 |
| Kane Williamson | 28 |
| Mike Hussey | 30 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 31 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 31 |
The home team, led by Skipper Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, put up an impressive performance, each scoring a century and setting a dominant tone against CSK’s bowlers. Their partnership at the crease lasted for 98 deliveries, during which they piled up 210 runs for the first wicket, showcasing their batting prowess in style. Gill notched up his fourth IPL hundred with a classy boundary past square leg in the 17th over.
Gujarat Titans posted a challenging total of 231/3 in their 20 overs, courtesy of an outstanding opening stand between Sudharsan and Gill. Despite commendable efforts from Daryl Mitchell and Moeen Ali, Chennai Super Kings fell short by 35 runs in their chase of the Titans’ imposing target. CSK faced early setbacks in their pursuit, losing three crucial wickets, which made their task even more daunting. Although the middle and lower order fought bravely, CSK couldn’t bridge the gap, finishing their innings 35 runs shy of the target set by Gujarat Titans.
