Washington Sundar’s journey in the cricket world has been an interesting one. He gained recognition for his impressive powerplay bowling in IPL 2017, but unfortunately could not maintain that level when he played for different teams. However, things took a surprising turn during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he made his debut as India’s lone spinner and showcased his batting skills against a formidable Test attack, contributing to their historic series win. Though he experienced a dip afterwards, he eventually cemented his place as India’s main spin option as they looked towards the future without R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
Despite being one of the 20 regular players representing India in T20I matches, Washington was unable to secure a spot in the IPL. This could be attributed to the Impact Player rule, which discourages the development of all-rounders and eliminates those who are not perfect in either batting or bowling. While Washington may argue otherwise, he does not quite fit into either category and is not at the same level as Ashwin when it comes to off-spin bowling.
The almost player participated in only two IPL matches last year. Following his departure from Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), his new team Gujarat Titans (GT), who already had a strong bowling unit, did not have a spot for him. He came close to playing against Mumbai Indians (MI) when he was ready to step in as an Impact Player during GT’s first innings. However, they ultimately went with specialist bowler Ishant Sharma. This has been the pattern for Washington since the introduction of Impact Players – constantly missing out to a combination of players like Ishant and Sherfane Rutherford, whom he may have surpassed if it were an 11-player team instead of 12.
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When SRH provided a dream pitch for the visiting team, GT made the strategic decision to bring in an additional spinner, namely Washington. This could have been influenced by the presence of three left-handed batters in SRH’s top order. However, it soon became apparent that tall, into-the-pitch fast bowlers were benefiting more from the conditions than spinners. As a result, Washington did not get an opportunity to bowl, but GT still managed to limit SRH to 152 runs.
Unexpectedly, luck changed. After losing two wickets, GT’s captain was on the field and their coach requested Washington to bat at No. 4. It could be due to the desire for a right-left pairing or because of Shahrukh Khan’s slow start in this year’s IPL with their Tamil Nadu team. Regardless of the reason, Washington seized the chance and played an outstanding innings that stood out among all others on a challenging pitch, except for Rutherford’s who batted when the game was almost finished and dew had made it simpler.
After three balls, Washington began using the powerplay fields to his advantage. He showed a combination of traditional batting skills and T20-style creativity. His impressive 20 runs off Simarjeet Singh in the sixth over helped GT get on track. He also took control of the third-wicket partnership with Shubman Gill, contributing 49 runs in their 90-run stand and allowing Gill to adjust to the pitch. According to ESPNcricinfo’s smart stats, Washington played the most impactful innings of the game, even though Mohammed Siraj was deservedly named Player of the Match for his figures of 4 for 17.
Washington will be relying on his performance to persuade GT to increase his playing time, although he is aware that they prioritize their methods over immediate outcomes. He was brought in under specific circumstances, indicating he is viewed as a bowler rather than a batter. Their upcoming match against Rajasthan Royals will take place at home. If the pitch is once again made of black soil – which was the case in their game against MI and resulted in slow and low gameplay – it is likely that he will remain in the lineup and prevent an extra fast bowler from playing.
