Sai Sudharsan suffers rib fracture, expected to miss Ranji Trophy but return for IPL 2026

India batter Sai Sudharsan has fractured his rib during a Vijay Hazare Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh. The injury is expected to keep him out for six to eight weeks, ruling him out of Ranji Trophy but keeping him in contention for IPL 2026

New Delhi: Young India batter Sai Sudharsan could be sidelined for more than a month after sustaining a rib fracture during a recent Vijay Hazare Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh, a BCCI source said on Friday.

Sudharsan, who is not part of India’s white-ball set-up, fractured the anterior cortex of the seventh right rib while completing a diving run in Tamil Nadu’s VHT game against Madhya Pradesh in Ahmedabad.

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The 24-year-old is unlikely to be fit for Tamil Nadu’s remaining Ranji Trophy games, but he is expected to be available for Gujarat Titans in the IPL.

According to sources, Sudharsan reported to the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru on December 29 and a scan revealed “a slender, undisplaced fracture of the anterior cortex of the right seventh rib.” The area was the same spot where he had been hit during a net session earlier in the tournament.

A COE report stated: “Sai is undertaking lower-body strength and conditioning work with appropriate protection to the injured rib to facilitate healing, and he has responded well to the program. Upper-body training will be introduced once acute symptoms settle over the next 7-10 days, following which he will be gradually progressed into a structured upper-body strength and conditioning program.”

It is understood that such an injury normally takes six to eight weeks to heal.

Sudharsan has had a difficult run in Tests, failing to come good in nine of his 11 innings.