“Can you deny him pace in 6 or 7 deliveries?”

Former cricketer Irfan Pathan has outlined a plan for the Delhi Capitals (DC) bowlers against Gujarat Titans (GT) and India batter Sai Sudharsan ahead of their IPL 2026 clash. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

In two games so far, the southpaw has scored 86 runs, including a fifty against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, Pathan said he would like to see Sudharsan forced to play in front of the stumps rather than square of the wicket, and noted that the DC bowlers should aim to deny him pace in at least six or seven deliveries out of every 10. He said:

“Against Sai Sudharsan, I want to see whether he is forced to play in front rather than square. You would have to bowl at the stumps, and adjust the length accordingly. Even if he manages to hit a rare boundary in front, you must persist with the plan. Out of 10 deliveries, can you deny him pace in 6 or 7 of them? Can this strategy be executed, especially against Sai Sudharsan? This could be a very strong game plan from Delhi, and I would like to see it. As for Delhi’s bowlers, they can do a very good job.”

The 41-year-old further noted that Sudharsan excels behind the square and can find gaps between long-on and mid-wicket, but he depends on pace to execute these shots. He noted that DC must be aware of this and said he is keen to see how the slower deliveries are used against the southpaw. Pathan said:

“What is his (Sai Sudharsan) playing style? He plays very well behind square. He is excellent in the third-man area. If the length is there, he plays the lap shot very well. He can hit fours between long-on and mid-wicket, and if he sees an opportunity to hit in the air, he uses the slog sweep. These are his maximum scoring areas.

“Now, in these areas, you need pace. You need pace to play the cut, pace to play in the third-man region, and pace to play in fine leg. When he wants to generate pace himself, he creates it toward mid-wicket, which carries a little risk because he’s playing in the air. Delhi must be aware of this; I’m sure they are. But what I would like to see is how slower balls are used against him,” he added.

Sudharsan has scored 1,879 runs in 42 matches at an impressive average of 49.44 and a strike rate of 146.33, including 13 fifties and two centuries.

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“A good length could make it a great contest between Ngidi and Sai Sudharsan” – Irfan Pathan on the matchup between DC bowlers and the GT opener

In the same video, Irfan Pathan noted that Lungi Ngidi’s slower deliveries, if bowled at the right length, could make for a fascinating contest with Sai Sudharsan. He added that other Delhi Capitals bowlers could also influence the battle, making the matchup with the GT opener even more intriguing. He said:

“Lungi Ngidi can bowl plenty of slower deliveries. Especially for left-handed batters, his ball moves away. A good length could make it a great contest between Ngidi and Sai Sudharsan. Other bowlers, including spinners, will also come into the game. Axar Patel can take the ball away from leg-stump. Kuldeep Yadav should also bowl slow. It will be a very interesting matchup: Sai Sudharsan versus Delhi’s bowlers.”

Meanwhile, GT are still searching for their first win, having lost both of their opening games.