A technically correct batsman with a wide array of strokes, Sudhakar Rao was one of the stalwarts of Karnataka's heady days of the seventies and eighties. He first made his mark with a series of big scores at the University level and then continued in the same vein in the national competition. A knock of 200 not out against Hyderabad in 1975-76 saw him earning selection to the Indian team which toured New Zealand and West Indies in 1975-76. He did little of note, but was given a chance in the second ODI when he was run out for 4. Discarded for good after the tour, Sudhakar Rao continued to be a pillar of strength to Karnataka and was a member of the state squad which won the Ranji Trophy in 1973-74, 1977-78 and 1982-83. When he retired, he had scored 3021 (40.82) in the national competition.
Partab Ramchand