Washington

Sundar

Washington Sundar Biography and Career

Washington Sundar is an Indian all-rounder who bowls off-spin and bats left-handed. He plays for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket and was picked by Gujarat Titans for IPL 2025 having earlier played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rising Pune Supergiant and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the league.

Washington has an interesting backstory. His father, Sundar was a cricketer who made it to the Ranji Trophy probables but could never break into the main squad. He was adamant about making his son a cricketer and named him Washington in honour of his godfather, Mr Washington, who would buy bats for him and also paid his fees.

Washington was never really interested in top flight cricket. He started it as a hobby, but soon realized he was made for this game and took it up professionally. He soon broke into the Tamil Nadu age-group squads and rose up the ranks. A disciplined wicket-to-wicket bowler, a handy fielder and a terrific middle to lower-order batsman, Washington was any captain’s dream.

He could bowl in the powerplay, he could bowl in the slog overs, he could bowl in the middle overs and he could bat in any position from No. 1 to No. 11.

"I prefer the new ball," Washington said in an interview. "I prefer bowling even in the slog overs. I have bowled a lot in the slog overs. I have got good yorkers. I prefer bowling in whatever situation. It is challenging. It gives you an opportunity to do good for your team. To contribute as much as possible for your team."

Washington was 17 when he made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy. He was first spotted in the Tamil Nadu Premier League in 2016 where he took 11 wickets in nine matches at an economy rate of less than 6.

Washington was then picked for the 2016 Under-19 World Cup where India reached the final but lost to West Indies under Ishan Kishan’s captaincy. He was just 18 when he was called for IPL trials by the new franchise Rising Pune Supergiants and he impressed everyone in the nets, including the then captain Steven Smith.

As it turns out, Washington replaced his mentor R Ashwin in the RPS side and made his IPL and T20 debut in the tenth edition of the league. In a way, that was the turning point in Washington’s career. He picked 3 for 16 in Qualifier 1 against Mumbai Indians helping the Pune side to make it to the final of the competition. Washington was named Player of the Match in that game.

The same year in November, Washington made it to the Indian team for the very first time. He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in December 2017 and his T20I debut a few days later. All this before he had turned 19.

In the 2018 Nidahas Trophy, Washington was named Player of the Series for his consistent performances throughout the tournament. It was a tournament which India ended up winning in a heart-stopping final against Bangladesh.

By the 2019-20 season, Washington had become an integral member of India’s T20I side. He was picked for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in the 2020-21 series as a net bowler. But injuries and unavailability forced India to draft Washington into the main squad.

He made an unexpected debut against Australia in a key Test at the Gabba, in Brisbane. But, Washington showed his wares and stepped up to the occasion big time. He picked Steve Smith as his maiden Test wicket and scored 62 in his maiden innings. He was involved in a crucial stand with Shardul Thakur and the duo dug India out of a hole. India eventually won the Test in a grand fashion chasing a huge fourth-innings target.

Sundar’s no-look six in that Test remained a big talking point for years to come. He even named his dog Gabba after India’s record win. In October 2024, Washington picked up his maiden ten-wicket haul in Tests against New Zealand.

Washington has often credited his father and coaches for the improvements in his game. "It is a dream to be part of the Indian team. My father (Sundar), including M Senthilnathan, have played a big role in shaping me as a cricketer,” he had said in an interview.

In 2018, Washington was picked by RCB in the IPL player auction. He was extensively used by then-captain Virat Kohli as a powerplay specialist where he dried up the runs with his accurate bowling. He was with RCB for four seasons before he was picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2022 IPL auction for a mammoth Rs 8.75 crore.

In IPL 2025, Washington will play for Gujarat Titans after he was picked for Rs 3.2 crore.

Beyond Cricket

Washington has a very low key personality and is not very active on social media. He likes to remain calm and even on the field, he does not interact with the opposition much. Washington has built a solid social media presence over the years. He has close to 2 million followers on Instagram and around a million followers on Twitter (now X).

He also endorses a number of popular brands such as Puma, Anker Invitation and SS. His elder sister, Manisundar Shailaja is also a professional cricketer, though she hasn’t played for India. Another interesting thing about Washington is that he is deaf in one year by birth.

There was a slight controversy early on in his career when Washington was dropped from the Indian team when he failed to clear a Yo-Yo test. However, he cleared the test soon and made it back.

Records 

Washington Sundar Test Records

• With his maiden Test half-century, Washington became the third Indian to record a half-century on Test debut in Australia
• Washington achieved a rare double on his Test debut when he became just the second Indian to pick three wickets and score a fifty on debut

Washington Sundar T20I Records

• At the tender age of 18 years and 80 days, Washington became the youngest player to debut for India in T20Is
• During the 2018 Nidahas Trophy, Washington claimed his maiden three-wicket haul. He is the youngest player to achieve this feat in T20Is

Washington Sundar IPL Records

• Washington has played for RCB, SRH and Rising Pune Supergiant in the IPL. In 2025, he will play for Gujarat Titans
• He won the player of the match award in Qualifier 1 of IPL 10, helping Pune qualify for the final