NEWS
Toast of the town after his stunning IPL debut, Washington Sundar does not need any introduction. But his achievements do need to be celebrated! One of the most promising youngsters to have debuted for the India National Cricket Team in the last few years, the future looks truly sparkling for him.
Right from the start of his domestic career to his international debut, and of course the stunning IPL feat, Washington has steadily climbed the ranks. Here, we explore his inspiring journey, starting from his early life to current success. Let’s dive in!
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Washington Sundar |
| Date of Birth | 5 October 1999 |
| Hometown | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Height | 185 cm |
| Weight | 74 kg |
| Coach | M. Senthilnathan |
| Parent | M Sundar (father) |
| ODI Debut | 13 December 2017 |
| T 20 Debut | 24 December 2017 |
| Batting Style | Left-hand Batsman |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm Offbreak |
| Teams Played for | Tamil Nadu, Rising Pune Supergiant, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Indian National Team |
| Alma Mater | St. Bede’s School, Chennai |
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The first time Washington played cricket, he was barely four years old! He was just in upper kindergarten and used to play with his father. Observing his father practise and play influenced him a lot in those impressionable years. It isn’t surprising then that he developed a passion at such a tender age. Today cricket is everything for Washington. He doesn’t mind the stress or the hectic schedules, because he is doing something he loves.
At the same time, Washington doesn’t obsess about his game or technique 24/7, he knows to destress off the field. He trains at the MRF Pace Academy. Most of his day is spent on training and gymming.
Washington made his domestic debut in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season. He played 12 matches and scored 532 runs at an average of 31.29 for Tamil Nadu. Sundar also took 300 wickets at an average of 26.93. He made his first first-class century in October 2017 during the 2017-18 Ranji Trophy against Tripura.
In 2016, he was picked up in the India U-19 squad. Soon, he got his national call. Washington made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka on 13 December 2017. It was an eventful inning for the youngster, having managed figures of 1/65 apart from taking a catch. The performance earned him a T20 debut in the same tour on 24 December 2017.
With his on-field antics, Washington has managed to impress the legendary Australian cricketer Brett Lee as well. The youngster was quoted by Rediff.com, “I am a big fan of Washington Sundar. He is a very exciting player who offers a lot with the bat and ball. He is tall, confident and very good in the field. Definitely, a player for the future.” Now that’s super impressive and sure must have motivated the youngster tremendously.
Initially, Washington remained unsold in the Indian Premier League auctions in 2017. However, an opportunity opened up for Washington when he was picked up as a replacement for Ravichandran Ashwin by the Rising Pune Supergiant team in 2017. His performance in the very first year was extremely impressive. He even went on to win the Man of the Match award in the qualifier against Mumbai Indians. His 3 wickets for 16 runs were remarkable.
“Playing alongside players like MS Dhoni and Steve Smith, someone who averages 60 in Test cricket, was a special feeling. I am glad about it. When I got a chance to play for Pune, I just wanted to learn a lot of things from players like Dhoni, Smith and others.
“At the end of the season, I had already played 11 games alongside them and gained a lot of knowledge that will be helpful for me in the future,” he said in an interview.
No wonder then that he was one of the sought after youngsters in the next edition of the league. Royal Challengers Bangalore signed him for ₹ 3.2 crores.
The IPL call was definitely the turning point of Washington’s career. In an interview with The Telegraph, he was quoted,
“It was kind of a turning point in my life… it did change a lot. Financially it did really help a lot, especially my family. And life has been going pretty smooth ever since.”
| Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | BF | SR | 100 | 50 | 4s | 6s | Ct | St | |
| ODIs | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| T20Is | 10 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8* | – | 5 | 160.00 | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | – |
| First-class | 12 | 17 | – | 532 | 159 | 31.29 | 1014 | 52.46 | 1 | 2 | 59 | 8 | 6 | – |
| List A | 30 | 20 | 3 | 261 | 45 | 15.35 | 334 | 78.14 | – | – | 13 | 6 | 11 | – |
| T20s | 46 | 30 | 10 | 414 | 53 | 20.70 | 350 | 118.28 | – | 1 | 35 | 13 | 16 | – |
| Mat | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10 | |
| ODIs | 1 | 1 | 60 | 65 | 1 | 1/65 | 1/65 | 65.00 | 6.50 | 60.0 | – | – | – |
| T20Is | 10 | 10 | 216 | 222 | 12 | 3/22 | 3/22 | 18.50 | 6.16 | 18.0 | – | – | – |
| First-class | 12 | 20 | 1740 | 808 | 30 | 6/87 | 11/181 | 26.93 | 2.78 | 58.0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| List A | 30 | 28 | 1304 | 968 | 20 | 2/20 | 2/20 | 48.40 | 4.45 | 65.2 | – | – | – |
| T20s | 46 | 45 | 912 | 1042 | 44 | 3/16 | 3/16 | 23.68 | 6.85 | 20.7 | – | – | – |
Washington is a left-handed batsman and right-arm spinner. An all-rounder, he is flexible enough to bat anywhere. Washington is a genuinely 3-dimensional player. Though he has a lot of versatility, he likes to open or bat at number 3.
His father, M. Sundar, is a former cricketer himself. He has represented Tamil Nadu Cricket Association in first division cricket. Every since Washington was born, his father cherished the dream of his son following his footsteps and reaching even greater heights.
Washington has a sister, Shailja, who he is very close to him. In fact, for many years, the two shared a room. Shailaja is a cricketer as well and represents the South zone. Truly a cricketing family indeed.
After his IPL debut and financial independence, Washington bought his own flat. He didn’t want to stay away from his family, so he bought one right next to their existing flat. He fondly elaborated on his relationship with his sister in an interview with The Telegraph,
“All the years I’ve been sharing a room with my sister, which is sometimes annoying, but yeah, some good fun also. But then being in a good room gives you some peace and gives some time for yourself.”
Washington comes across as an introvert. He is almost expressionless, even after taking a wicket. But he always opens up with his family and friends.
“When I am with a few good friends [teammates], I am a jovial person. I love spending time with them and do not appear an introvert at all,” Sundar was quoted by Holding Willey.
A truly talented youngster, Washington has a bright future ahead. He has just made inroads in the cricketing world, and there is indeed a long way ahead. But with his positivity, patience, humility, and of course talent, there’s no stopping him! We wish him all the best for his career and hope to see him make the entire country proud.
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