Usha Bharadwaj had shut all the television noise and was seated in the puja room at their home in Chennai when her 21-year-old son was coolly hitting sixes off Delhi Capitals' 148-kmph fast bowler Anrich Nortje, mesmerizing cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar. Sai Sudarshanwho was the replacement of Kane Williamson accomplished his second half-century, guiding Gujarat Titans to a comfortable victory, partnering with teammate Vijay Shankar and then with David Miller. 

Tamil Nadu cricket must have been excited with Gavaskar's appreciation for the wonder boy. Gavaskar singled out Sudarshan for the style he dished out while hitting two sixes and a boundary off Nortje. Sudarshan was the most expensive player in Tamil Nadu Premier League that took place just before the IPL, bought by Lyca Koval Kings at Rs 21.6. Gujarat Titans bought him at Rs 20 lakh. 

Sudarshan's father R. Bharadwaj was a sprinter who represented the country in the Dhaka SAFF Games in 1993 while his mother Usha was also a state-level volleyball player. Sport runs in their blood. But Usha maintains the superstition that she still prefers not to watch her younger son play. 

Usha has revealed while speaking to Indian Express recently that she always chants prayers at her puja room whenever Sudarshan plays in any competitive match. She is the strength and conditioning coach of Sudarshan. She has been monitoring Sudarshan's fitness since the COVID-19 pandemic. Sudarshan has even been able to shed a few kilos under the training of his mother. The significant part of the story is Sudarshan did not know about his mother's expertise in fitness. 

As a strength and conditioning coach, Usha has already trained the likes of India's squash players Deepika Pallikal, and Joshna Chinappa and cricketers Abhinav Mukund, L Balaji, Thirush Kamini, D Hemalatha, and N Niranjana. But she divulged that she had a hard time convincing her own son into believing she knows the stuff. She also motivated her son by showing the fitness training video of Virat Kohli.

Sudharsan has a habit of writing a to-do note list for the next day. Before the match against Delhi Capitals, he had written these: keep an eye on the conditions, fast outfield, and how DC will unleash Nortje. This visualization is a key part of Sudharsan’s preparations along with yoga and meditation.