Washington Sundar Turns 24: Inspiring Journey From the Streets of Chennai to Indian Cricket Team – News18

Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar celebrates his 24th birthday today on October 5. From playing cricket in the streets of Chennai to representing the country globally, Washington has certainly come a long way. In his journey, Washington has followed the footsteps of India great Ravichandran Ashwin, who also hails from Tamil Nadu.

Similar to Ashwin, Washington started off his career as a batter before developing an interest in spin bowling. A left-handed top-order batter, Washington loved to bowl but never thought of becoming an all-rounder. Later he trained under former India offspinner M Venkataramana and started bowling regularly.

His father, M Sundar was also passionate about cricket and used to feature in local tournaments. He even managed to make the cut to Tamil Nadu Ranji probables but could not find a place in the final squad. Washington Sundar was named after an ex-army officer PD Washington, his father’s mentor.

M Sundar later revealed that he didn’t have enough money to buy books or pay school fees and PD Washington supported him financially. The army man breathed his last in 1999 when Washington Sundar was born. As a mark of respect, M Sundar decided to name his son after PD Washington.

Early Career

Before representing India at the under-19 level, Washington Sundar used to play for local teams in Chennai. His dedication towards the game was able to catch the attention of state team selectors. He was called up for the 2016 U-19 World Cup where India finished as the runners-up after losing to West Indies in the final. Washington Sundar made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in the same year during a game against Mumbai at Rohtak.

Washington Sundar has played 23 first-class games so far during his career. He has aggregated 1012 runs at a 30-plus batting average while taking 51 wickets with the ball. He has also represented Tamil Nadu in 73 List-A matches and fetched 66 scalps.

Storming Into IPL

After some impressive performances in domestic cricket, Washington Sundar was drafted in the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. He was initially left unsold before being roped in by Rising Pune Supergiants, a now-defunct franchise led by MS Dhoni. Washington played 11 matches in his debut campaign and got 8 wickets under his belt. He represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in the following seasons before joining Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022.

International Career

Following his IPL debut, Washington Sundar earned his maiden call-up for the Indian team during an ODI series against Sri Lanka on home soil. He made his T20I debut in the same series as well. Washington donned the whites for India for the first time during an Australia tour in 2021. The 24-year-old has so far played 18 ODIs, 38 T20Is and 4 Tests.