Washington Sundar Celebrates in Style
Washington Sundar isn’t usually known for his celebratory antics on the cricket field, but his performance against Zimbabwe in Harare on Wednesday was an exception. Claiming three wickets, Washington celebrated each one with enthusiasm. His performance, which earned him the Player-of-the-Match award for his 3 for 15 in four overs, brought out a rare display of emotion. “Feels amazing,” he said with a big smile.
IPL 2024 Struggles
Washington’s IPL 2024 season was a disappointment, with zero runs and zero wickets in just two games. He was displaced by rookie Nitish Kumar Reddy as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s first-choice allrounder. Despite his underwhelming IPL performance, India’s management reportedly made a last-minute request to include Washington in their 2024 T20 World Cup squad. However, he lost out to Axar Patel, who has become India’s first-choice spin-bowling allrounder in T20Is following Ravindra Jadeja’s retirement from the format.
Redemption in Zimbabwe
Returning to form, Washington was included in the five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe. In three games, he showcased his value to the Indian team. Apart from R Ashwin, Washington is the only bowler in the country who can deliver accurate offspin and contribute with the bat.
His precision with the ball was key to shutting down Zimbabwe’s chase of 183. He was brought into the attack immediately after the powerplay when Sikandar Raza was looking to break free. Washington kept the stumps in play and forced Raza into an ill-fated sweep shot, resulting in a catch at deep midwicket.
Tactical Brilliance
Washington’s tactical acumen shone through when he bowled a big-turning offbreak to Johnathan Campbell, resulting in an outside edge caught by substitute Riyan Parag. His accuracy and ability to adapt to the Harare conditions, bowling Test-match-style offbreaks, set him apart. A broadcaster’s graphic highlighted his average turn of 2.5 degrees, surpassing Ravi Bishnoi’s 2.3 degrees and Abhishek Sharma’s 0.8 degrees.
Preparation and Persistence
After spending much of IPL 2024 on the bench, Washington returned to Chennai to play for his club in the TNCA first-division league, bowling 112 overs across three games and picking up seven wickets. His preparation paid off, as he noted, “I knew for a fact that, or I believed for a fact that, it would pay off whenever it has to. It has been good so far in this series.”
Key Moments in the Match
In the 17th over, Washington thwarted a fightback from Dion Myers and Clive Madande by pushing a ball wide of off, causing Madande to mishit a slog-sweep to deep midwicket. Washington ended the game with career-best T20I figures, reflecting his third-best economy rate in games where he bowled his full allotment of four overs.
Washington shared insights into his strategies, noting the importance of getting Raza out early and executing a planned dismissal of Campbell with Riyan Parag. He also aimed to disrupt Madande’s shot by bowling wide.
Future Prospects
As a lower-order batter, Washington remains a work in progress. He has shown glimpses of potential in previous matches, like the Christchurch ODI in 2022 and the Ranchi T20I in 2023. However, he failed to finish a chase in the T20I series opener in Harare. Since his white-ball debut for India in 2017, Washington has missed five World Cups due to injuries, lack of form, or competition. With Jadeja retiring from T20Is and Ashwin ageing, 2026 might finally be Washington’s time, provided he stays fit and enhances his batting power.(Dubai7 realmoneygame)