Big blow for GT ahead of IPL 2026; Sai Sudharsan suffers injury

Sai Sudharsan has played two matches in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Sai Sudharsan, a young batter from India who represented Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2025–2026, has been playing well. The 24-year-old has scored 99 runs at an average of 49.50 in two games thus far.  

In his matches against Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry, he scored 51 and 48 runs, respectively. Sai earned the orange cap after amassing 759 runs in 15 innings, making IPL 2025 an event to remember. He had a strike rate of 156.17 and an average of 54.21.

He received an India Test call-up thanks to his heroics in the IPL. However, a new problem has arisen for GT, as reports suggest that Sai has been checked into the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) after suffering a rib injury.

Sai Sudharsan suffers a rib cage fracture

Star batsman Sai Sudharsan fractured his rib cage and checked into the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) on December 29, which is a major development for Indian cricket. The Gujarat Titans player would need an additional seven to ten days to fully heal from an injury he sustained during the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

According to a SportsTak article, Sai, a domestic cricket player for Tamil Nadu, hurt his rib on December 26 while fielding against Madhya Pradesh.  

The remarkable thing is that despite the minor discomfort, Sai continued playing. But the southpaw was struck in the same spot in the neck a few days after his on-field injury, and he was taken for a CT scan.

The reports confirmed that a small, undisplaced fracture to his right seventh rib led to Sai checking in at the CoE on December 29. 

“Sai is currently continuing his recovery with lower-body fitness and conditioning work, while his injured rib is kept protected to allow it to heal properly. Sai has been responding well to the program so far. Upper-body training is expected to begin once the pain reduces over the next 7 to 10 days, after which he will slowly move into a planned upper-body strength and conditioning routine,” the SportsTak report stated.

Sai’s participation in the IPL 2026 will not be affected, although he will likely miss Tamil Nadu’s next two Vijay Hazare Trophy 2026 matches. On January 3 and January 6, respectively, Tamil Nadu will play Rajasthan and Tripura. Due to his recent injury, Sai is unlikely to play in these two games.

Although the Tamil Nadu State Association has not provided any information regarding the southpaw, it is unlikely that Sudharsan will play again till January 8.

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