After the online session, it was Washington who was despatched in for India’s pre-match press convention. It was the primary time he was going through such a big media contingent, however he hardly gave away something. Despite being informed by the workforce administration that he could be making his ODI debut a day later, he actually gave nothing away even when questioned about his probabilities of taking part in within the XI. It was as if he was taking part in poker. He simply sat, answered the questions with out displaying any feelings. It is that this half that has made Washington the participant he’s, one who isn’t overawed by the state of affairs or being across the huge boys. If something, he relishes such alternatives, the place he can silently depart his mark with out anybody noticing and even go for the kill earlier than one may even regroup from the sooner punch.

The 22-year-old returned to play three ODIs towards the West Indies that preceded the T20I sequence. (Washington Sundar/Twitter)

Cricket runs deep in Washington’s household. His father M Sundar narrowly missed out on a Ranji cap, and at this time aside from Washington his daughter Shylaja can also be a part of the Tamil Nadu workforce. Named after an ex-Service man who supported his father financially throughout his cricketing years, Washington is at a stage of his profession, the place he might play an enormous function in India bringing dwelling its third 50-over World Cup title subsequent 12 months.

In a workforce that’s brief on batsmen who can bowl, Washington suits the invoice in some ways. Apart from being a dependable off-spinner, who may even be counted to bowl within the powerplay, his batting credentials are second to none. For a workforce that likes floaters, Washington is tailored. He can bat anyplace within the prime order by bringing in assurance and may even be the link-up between the middle-order and decrease order. It is a facet that Washington has been focussing on off late as in a crowded top-order he might get a gap solely within the lower-order.

M Senthilnathan, the pinnacle coach at MRF Pace Foundation, has performed an integral function in Washington’s rise. India’s first captain within the inaugural Under-19 World Cup in 1988, Senthilnathan first noticed Washington as a 12-year-old. “Sundar and myself played cricket together and he wanted us to take a look at his kid. And I made him around 10 deliveries, but by the second or third delivery only I knew this kid had the potential to go a long way. He was handling boys much senior to him and their pace with ease. He wasn’t afraid or showed anything… that itself showed his resolve,” Senthilnathan recalled.

Washington missed out on the T20 World Cup however Ravichandran Ashwin’s underwhelming present in white-ball video games and subsequent ouster introduced him again within the combine as he made his worldwide return with 3/30 towards West Indies in first ODI. (Twitter/Washington Sundar)

In the Tamil Nadu cricket circles, Washington has all the time appeared extra like a batsman than a spinner. Of course, lately he has developed into an all-rounder, however all mentioned and accomplished, batting nonetheless stays his major ability and one that’s underutilized. After his heroic efforts on the Gabba, Shastri needed Tamil Nadu to make Washington bat within the prime order. But so far, that hasn’t occurred. The left-hander, who has grown up on the tempo basis going through quite a few quicks and is slotted within the middle-order and within the ongoing Ranji Trophy has are available solely at No 5 within the three innings he has batted.

With India having a crowded batting line-up, within the ODI scheme of issues Washington shall be used largely as a spin-bowling all-rounder, his function with the bat could be to search for some fast runs ultimately. During the New Zealand tour, he made a formidable unbeaten 37 and 51, displaying he can adapt to the function as properly. With the World Cup in India, and the workforce taking a look at six bowling choices in addition to depth in batting, Washington could be extra utilised ultimately. The World Cup is scheduled for the months of October-November, a interval the place dew goes to have an enormous impact on sides bowling second, and will make wrist-spinners ineffective. In that sense, alongside Ravindra Jadeja, Washington could be greater than only a helpful participant.

The left-handed batsman off-late has been concentrating on the power-hitting side. Although it hasn’t been his pure swimsuit, Washington has all the time been a stable timer than one depends on energy, it has develop into a necessity. “He is slowly getting the idea as to what he has to do with the bat. He is only 23 and you are sending him with three overs to go and asking him to hit, hit.. where is the question of hitting? You will only try to hold that bat harder and try to hit the ball rather than timing it and using the pace of the ball. These things come with experience,” Senthilnathan mentioned.

Washington Sundar celebrates the dismissal of Australia’s Steve Smith. (AP)

Which is why giving Washington as many video games as potential in his new function is essential. Although he might not carry out as a lot power-hitting as Hardik Pandya ultimately, Washington could be very a lot able to utilizing the tempo. These days he’s even exploring totally different components of the sphere, which might give him extra choices to play pictures. But earlier than all of it, there may be one different factor he has to deal with: his health.

Since making his debut in 2017, Washington has missed three of the World Cups which have adopted. For the 2021 T20 World Cup within the UAE, India below Shastri-Virat Kohli had big plans for Washington, particularly with the ball earlier than a finger harm he sustained dominated him out of it. Then included for the tour of South Africa, he missed it after contracting Covid. He returned for the ODIs towards West Indies earlier than lacking the T20Is with a hamstring. He got here again match for the IPL, however solely to separate his webbing and miss 5 matches. With little or no sport time because of totally different accidents, the Indian workforce administration and the NCA despatched him to Lancashire, even forcing TNCA to launch him from the TNPL. After three good outings within the County Championship, he picked up a shoulder harm within the 50-overs sport, which dominated him out of the Zimbabwe tour. And he returned to the nationwide fold simply earlier than the T20 World Cup within the ODIs towards South Africa.

To say this part has examined Washington massively could be an understatement. Injury, rehab, taking part in, repeat. It is as if Washington has been on some form of time loop, however it’s a interval the place he has labored extremely exhausting on his health. “He was chumma, chumma (just like that) getting injured. It was a mental agony, Sir,” Washington’s father Sundar mentioned. “The whole family didn’t know what was happening because each time he recovered, there was a new setback. But we didn’t lose hope, we kept working even hard. That was the period where he realised he needed to be bold. He has always been strong mentally, so he was able to come through it. And moreover, the NCA took good care of him during that phase. They are one of the reasons why he has come back fully fit,” Sundar mentioned.

Washington Sundar of Royal Challengers Bangalore. ( BCCI/IPL)

The finish results of it’s Washington understands his physique properly and has totally tailored to the weight-reduction plan chart ready on the NCA. As the 23-year-old turned up for the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association annual awards perform in November, a few of the current and former cricketers had been shocked to see his skinny body.

Sundar, although, isn’t impressed with that bit alone. From taking a variety of paneer, rooster, finger millet, pearl millet in his developmental years to operating on the seashore to enhance his endurance ranges, Washington lately is like another modern-day cricketer, who takes simply the correct quantity of carbs, proteins and fats. “Sweet ah iruku nu Tirupati ladoo kooda sapada matran Sir (He is not even taking Tirupati Prasad saying it has sugar),” is how Sundar responds about his son’s health weight-reduction plan.

“He shouldn’t be losing so much weight and look so thin. I don’t agree with it. When I see him on television, I find him so lean… it is not enough. He needs to be a little stronger. I feel he isn’t strong… he has to put a lot more muscle in his shoulders, back and arms. He is not concentrating on that aspect alone,” Sundar mentioned.

There is a cause why Sundar feels Washington isn’t sturdy. For a participant who needs to be in all codecs, and given the calls for of the trendy sport the place energy has develop into a non-negotiable half, Sundar feels there’s a probability Washington would possibly miss out if he doesn’t deal with his health side. As a lot as a priority, there may be concern of lacking out as properly in Sundar’s voice.

“Do you remember Alavandhan movie? Kamal Hasan worked so hard to look like a hulk. If he can do so much for a character in a movie, to play all formats, you need to put in as much work because you are playing lot of cricket these days. Just like agility, speed, strength is also a must. Look at Suryakumar Yadav, even a mis-hit carries for a six. If he gains some strength, he won’t get injured. Power iruntha thana power hitting varum? (how will you play power-hitting without power?),” Sundar mentioned.