Yash Dayal IPL auction 2022: Why is Sai Sudharsan not playing today’s IPL 2022 match between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans?

Why Sai Sudharsan not playing today: Gujarat Titans have made a couple of changes to their Playing XI for this match.

During the 24th match of the ongoing 15th season of the Indian Premier League between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans in Navi Mumbai, Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has won the toss and chose to field despite winning three matches while setting a target.

“We’d like to bowl first here. We did a very good job to win the game with dew condition and losing the toss but I’d like to use the conditions,” Samson told Star Sports at the toss.

The only change for Rajasthan has come in the form of all-rounder James Neesham replacing fast bowler Trent Boult. “Yesterday, Trent Boult had a small niggle and isn’t available for today’s game. Jimmy [James] Neesham is replacing him,” Samson mentioned.

Why is Sai Sudharsan not playing vs Rajasthan Royals today?

Wanting to follow a trend of chasing a total this season, Gujarat Titans captain Hardik Pandya revealed that he was looking to bowl first at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy tonight. Having said that, Pandya remained unperturbed about the prospect of batting first against the table-toppers.

“We would have liked to bowl first as well but I wouldn’t mind batting first as well. It’s always good to get responsibility, I have always been a player who has enjoyed taking responsibilities, taking things on my shoulder. It helps me to get better as a cricketer and as a person as well. The boys are pretty chilled out, the supporting staff is nice,” Pandya told Star Sports at the toss.

As far as the changes for them are concerned, Titans have brought back all-rounder Vijay Shankar into the XI in addition to handing a debut to fast bowler Yash Dayal. Batter Sai Sudharsan and pacer Darshan Nalkande have been left out for this match.

Having scored 35 (30) and 11 (9) in his first two IPL matches, Sudharsan has been benched to accommodate Shankar, who had to miss a couple of matches due to an injury. The change confirms GT’s thought process of backing their first-choice players.

Meanwhile, 24-year old Dayal plays for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket. Keenly interested for this left-arm fast bowler, Gujarat had bought him for a whopping INR 3.2 crore. Having registered himself for a base price of INR 20 lakh, Dayal had also allured interest from Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the mega auction earlier this year.

In 15 T20s, Dayal has picked 15 wickets at an average of 22.13, an economy rate of 7.21 and a strike rate of 18.4. Readers must note that Dayal was part of the Indian ODI squad’s bio-bubble during the ODI series against West Indies earlier this year.