Sai Sudharsan may still be leading the Indian Premier League run-scoring charts, but he is desperate for improvements after the Gujarat Titans' playoff exit.
The Titans fell to a 20-run defeat against the Mumbai Indians in Friday's IPL Eliminator, despite Sudharsan piling on 80 from just 49 deliveries.
Rohit Sharma top-scored for Mumbai with 81 off 50 balls as the five-time champions held their nerve to move closer to a record-breaking sixth title.
However, Sudharsan remains on course for the IPL's coveted Orange Cap, awarded to the competition's leading scorer, with his 759 runs leaving him 86 clear of his nearest competitor.
The 23-year-old believes there are still areas for improvement in his game, though, as he hopes for a T20I call-up from India.
"Playing for the country is obviously a dream for everybody, so I would love to do that," he said when asked about his chances for the T20 World Cup next year.
"But I'm not thinking on those lines because if you look at the season, I have a lot of things to improve as a T20 batter. There are so many facets of the game, or so many sectors.Â
"I should improve when I play T20 again. So I'm focusing more on that. Of course, when I get an opportunity, I will give my best for the country."
His IPL 2025 tally includes one century and six half-centuries, at an average of 54.2.
Gujarat's elimination does come with some reward, though, giving Sudharsan extra preparation time before he heads to England for India's five-Test series, which starts at Headingley on June 20.
Sudharsan has already had stints with County Championship side Surrey over the last two years in the longest format of the game.
"It gave me a great experience," he said of his time at Surrey. "It improved my batting multiple fold in terms of technique and in terms of basics."
Sudharsan acknowledged that adapting to red-ball cricket in England will require a shift in mindset and decision-making.
"After a long three months of white-ball tournament, certain things would have changed in your batting," he said.
"I think focusing more on basics and bringing back those to red-ball cricket will take some time."
