'I get to play different roles and be in different situations': Washington Sundar

Birmingham: India all-rounder Washington Sundar has embraced his role as a versatile utility player for the national side, describing the challenge of adapting to different positions in the batting order as "exciting."

The 26-year-old put his words into action on Tuesday, walking out at number five to anchor India’s chase with an unbeaten 52. His performance, paired with a fluent 80 from captain Shubman Gill and an unbeaten 57 from Axar Patel, guided India to a convincing six-wicket victory over England in the first ODI of the UK tour.

Reflecting on his fluid positioning in the lineup during the post-match press conference, Washington expressed gratitude for the unique demands placed on him.
"The fact that I play different roles is exciting. Not many people get to play different roles. I get to play those different roles and be in those different situations," Washington said.
"Obviously, I try my best to help the team win. It is exciting to be in different situations and different phases of the game."

Mentorship and technical growth

Washington credited India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Gujarat Titans coach Ashish Nehra for reshaping his perspective on his batting potential. Under their guidance, the Tamil Nadu cricketer has developed a deeper self-awareness of his capabilities as a genuine all-rounder.
"Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) always made me understand what exactly I could do with the bat, especially, and made me understand my game as well. Even Ashish Nehra at GT has always made sure… he has helped me understand myself a lot more, be it as a person or as a cricketer on the whole," Washington said.
"As an all-rounder, I think it is really important to keep looking to improve every single day, understand my game and, obviously, play according to the situation. Playing a lot of games also helps. You get to be in those situations, understand what exactly you can do, and you have a lot of learning as well.
"I am so grateful that I have got such people who have always had faith in my skill sets and also made me understand what exactly I could do with my different skill sets," he added.

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The tactical edge of multi-dimensional players

With India heavily prioritizing tactical flexibility under the current team management, Washington highlighted how a surplus of multi-skilled players serves as a major asset when touring different parts of the world.
"It is such a blessing for me to be an all-rounder and I mean any team would love to have as many all-rounders as possible because you can play according to the conditions and it is always nice to have different varieties.
"You will never think like you are short in sort of options, especially going in any conditions. We play a lot of cricket around the world, the conditions are quite different and yes, it was a good day today for all of us," he said.

Praise for partners and new talent

Analyzing the match, Washington lauded his teammates for navigating a tricky surface. He highlighted the foundational platform built by Gill and the clinical finish executed alongside Axar Patel, who shared an unbroken 102-run stand with him for the fifth wicket.
"There was definitely a little bit in the wicket. Shubman batted really well, and that partnership with Shreyas Iyer was very important. The way Axar played, he got those crucial boundaries every time they were needed and made things look very easy.

"We applied ourselves really well and were happy to have won this," he said.

Washington also reserved special commendation for fast bowler Gurnoor Brar. The pacer made an impactful contribution to the victory, registering figures of 2/61 and picking up the crucial dismissals of Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell.
"With Gurnoor, you can always expect character. I have watched him closely over the last couple of years with the Gujarat Titans. He always gives everything, whether it is a game or a practice session.

"Players with that kind of character always step up when it matters. The way he bowled today was fabulous. He got crucial wickets at important moments and played a major part in us winning this game," he noted.(PTI)