Sai Sudharsan sustains rib fracture, set to miss rest of the Vijay Hazare Trophy

Tamil Nadu batter B Sai Sudharsan could be sidelined for over a month after sustaining a rib fracture during the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy game against Madhya Pradesh in Ahmedabad.

Sudharsan sustained the injury while diving for a run during his half-century. He missed the next two games, against Karnataka and Jharkhand. It is understood that he reported at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on December 29, and a scan revealed "a slender, undisplaced fracture of the anterior cortex of the right seventh rib". It was the same spot where he had been hit during a net session earlier in the tournament.

An injury like this typically takes six to eight weeks to heal, which means he is likely to return for the IPL, where he plays for Gujarat Titans.

"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," a CoE report said. "Upper-body training will be introduced once acute symptoms settle over the next seven to ten days, following which he will be gradually progressed into a structured upper-body strength and conditioning program."

Sudharsan made his Test debut in 2025 and has played six matches, scoring 302 runs at an average of 27.45. He has also played three ODIs and one T20I.

Tamil Nadu are currently sixth in their group with one win in four games. They have three more group games to go, against Rajasthan, Tripura and Kerala.