Washington Sundar

Can bowl in the powerplay, middle and slog overs, can also bat anywhere in the batting order, and is one of the safest fielders: such is the versatility of Washington Sundar.

At the age of 18 years and 80 days, Sundar became the youngest player (men’s) to debut for India in T20Is when he made his debut against Sri Lanka in 2017.

Named after P. D. Washington, a retired army officer who supported Sundar’s father financially during his playing days, Washington Sundar has risen the ranks from the age-group level to the U19 level and from Tamil Nadu to the Indian cricket team.

Washington Sundar’s Domestic Career

Washington Sundar made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy on 6 October 2016. Like his fellow statesman, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sundar went from being a batsman as a youngster to making his name as an off-spinner. 

In October 2017, he scored his maiden first-class century for Tamil Nadu against Tripura in the 2017–18 Ranji Trophy. He was also selected for the national U-19 team for the 2016 U-19 World Cup.

Washington Sundar’s IPL Career

Washington Sundar’s IPL career has been full of ups and downs till now. Having been unsold in 2017, he joined the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (2017) as a replacement for the injured Ravichandran Ashwin. 'Washi' became the talk of the town when he was declared man of the match, having taken 3 for 16 against the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 1.

In January 2018, he was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for INR 3.2 crores. The dynamic all-rounder from Chennai fulfilled his promise and featured in every match for RCB, scoring important runs and picking up wickets at a crucial time. He was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2022 mega auction for INR 8.75 crore. However, a change in franchise altered his fortunes as well.

After a disappointing season in 2022, he was ruled out of IPL 2023 midway through the tournament due to an injury. Moreover, in the IPL 2025 auction, Washington Sundar was acquired by the Gujarat Titans for INR 3.2 crore.

Washington Sundar’s T20I Career

Washington Sundar made his T20I debut for India on December 24, 2017, against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, becoming the youngest player to represent India in T20Is at 18 years and 80 days, and impressed with figures of 1/22 in a winning cause.

After his man-of-the-series performance in the Nidahas Trophy in 2018, he became a mainstay in the national T20 team.

Sundar smashed his maiden T20I fifty against New Zealand in January 2023 before playing in the IPL that year, where another injury setback hit him, derailing him off the tracks.

He made his international cricket comeback in the T20I series against Ireland and then went on to represent his country in the men’s cricket event of the Asian Games 2023, bringing home the gold along with the team.

He donned the Indian jersey in the Asia Cup 2023 final, coming into the squad as Axar Patel’s replacement.

Washington Sundar’s ODI Career

In 2017, Washington Sundar was also added to India's ODI squad for the Sri Lanka series after Kedar Jadhav suffered a hamstring injury. He made his ODI debut for India against Sri Lanka on 13 December 2017, taking his first international wicket, Lahiru Thirimanne. Notably, Sundar made his ODI debut in the game in which Rohit Sharma smacked his third ODI double hundred. 

The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy further underscored Sundar’s significance in the Indian setup. In this prestigious tournament, he was selected as one of the key all-rounders, a decision that resonated well with the team's strategic vision. However, he couldn’t find a place in the playing 11 throughout the tournament, but the management is working closely with him to develop him in every possible way as an asset to the team.

Washington Sundar’s Test Career

During India's 2020-21 tour of Australia, Washington Sundar was picked as a net bowler, but due to several injuries in the squad, he was handed his maiden Test cap, and he delivered in fantastic style.

The debutant took three wickets in the first innings, including the important one of Steve Smith, a fluent 62 when India was in the dumps in the first innings, stitching a series-defining partnership with Shardul Thakur at the other end. 

Later in the second innings, he played a vital game-changing knock of 22 during his supporting act with Rishabh Pant, on the iconic final-day heist at the Gabba. His hook shot against the then-world number 1 bowler, Pat Cummins, is etched in the memory of fanatics.

The Chennai prodigy continued his good work with the bat in the subsequent Test series against England and was unfortunate to miss out on his maiden Test ton. In the 4th Test at Ahmedabad, he was left stranded on 96* as India was bundled out in the 1st innings. Then, he went on to play County Cricket in England for Lancashire, taking a five-wicket haul in his debut outing versus Northamptonshire.

In late 2024, while playing in the Ranji Trophy, the Chennai-born received a sudden call-up from the team management during India’s home Test series against New Zealand. He came from outside the squad and was included in the XI for the second match at Pune, where the off-spinner returned with a seven-fer.

Sundar was an instrumental part of India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024; he participated in three of the five Tests. In these matches, he scored 114 runs at 22.80, with a top score of 50 at the MCG. With the ball, Sundar took three wickets, averaging 38.66, with best innings figures of 2/48.

After losing the first Test at Headingley in 2025, the team management made a tactical change, bringing in Washington Sundar as an extra spinning all-rounder. Not just did he prove the trust right, but he also played one of the most important knocks of the tour at Old Trafford, scoring his maiden Test hundred and helping India draw a long-gone match.

(As of February 2026)