Sai Dropped After Two Freak Hit Wicket Dismissals? GT Make Major Change For IPL Final

The highly anticipated IPL final is being played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans. However, GT made a major change for this match, which caught many eyeballs.

During the toss at the RCB vs GT final, Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill announced that they have brought in the left-arm pacer Arshad Khan for Sai. Gill didn't reveal Sai's full name which created a confusion about two players of same name in this squad.

Is Sai Sudharsan Dropped For IPL 2026 Final?

GT squad for IPL 2026 has two players named ‘Sai’ - Sai Sudharsan and Sai Kishore. However, they have left out Sai Kishore for this match and not the in-form Sudharsan, who has been a revelation this season with the bat despite getting hit wicket in the last two matches.

It was a good news for the Gujarat Titans fans as they were desperately hoping for their in-form player to be a part of this big occasion. However, the performance of Sai Sudharsan in IPL 2026 final wasn't up to the mark and he was dismissed for just 12 runs.

The decision to exclude Sai Kishore seems to be more of a tactical change as the Narendra Modi Stadium tends to help the seamers more than the spinners.

The Titans have been selecting their playing 11 based on the pitch conditions throughout the tournament. As a result, they have juggled between playing an extra seamer or a spinner. They know the conditions at Ahmedabad better than anyone else and have found massive success on this ground this season.

Sai Sudharsan Hit Wicket Dismissals

Sai Sudharsan enters this final match as one of the contenders for the IPL Orange Cap this season. However, he has been in the headlines for two freak hit wicket dismissals recently. In both the matches, he accidentally threw his bat onto the stumps while playing a shot, resulting in the wicket.

His unlucky way of losing wickets didn't cost Gujarat Titans as they eventually made it into the final. This doesn't take away the fact that he has batted brilliantly all throughout the tournament.

Over the last few seasons, Sai Sudharsan has emerged into one of the best batsmen in IPL. He has shown brilliant consistency with the bat and his opening partnership with Shubman Gill has been one of the best in the league's history.