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Tamil Nadu-born all-rounder Washington Sundar announced his arrival at the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2017 edition for now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS). He played in the side led by Steve Smith that had legendary MS Dhoni in the ranks. Over the years, Sundar has been dubbed as the next big thing but he got a longer run under new head coach Gautam Gambhir. Sundar is a regular in Test squad, making strides in other formats as well. After a fruitful tour of England, Sundar revealed that he did not enjoy bowling to Gambhir who played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2017.
“He also had No. 5 on the back of his jersey (like me). And obviously he was a left hander, who was extremely elegant. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was bowling to him in the IPL. He was someone who was super succesful against me but he is an amazing human being. He has had so much faith in all of us that we would fight at all times and win the game. Really glad to see him happy at the end of the series,” Sundar said in an interview with Wisden.
Sundar vs Gambhir in IPL 2017
In his debut IPL season, he claimed 8 wickets from 11 games at an average of 23.12. His economy rate is 23.12. The first time Sundar bowled to Gambhir in an IPL match, the latter went on to score 62 runs from 46 balls. Sundar conceded 32 runs from three overs and remained wicketless. However, more than a week later, Sundar had his revenge as he dismissed the KKR captain for a 19-ball 24. He bowled two overs, conceded 18 runs and claimed two wickets. His second wicket, Sheldon Jackson, got out hit wicket.
After England tour, Sundar hails Gambhir and Gill
Sundar played four Tests on England tour as India wanted more batting depth. From eight innings, he scored 284 runs at an average of 47.33, including a century and one fifty. With the ball, the off-spinner bagged seven wickets at an average of 38.57, including a sensational four-wicket haul at the Lord's. The 26-year-old credited Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill for keeping a calm environment in the dressing room.
“Credit to them for having such a calm dressing room throughout the series. Their communication was precise and clear on what was expected. Both of them have a lot of belief in their players and that really helps in the bigger picture,” said Sundar.
Sundar to play in T20 Asia Cup 2025?
It will be interesting to see whether Sundar gets a place in India’s T20I squad for T20 Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE. He will not be seen in action in the Duleep Trophy 2025 as he was not picked in the South Zone squad.
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