Washington Sundar's role in the Indian T20I team has become a subject of intense debate, with former cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin publicly questioning the team management's clarity on how to use the 26-year-old all-rounder. Sundar, who made his debut before his 18th birthday, has played 61 T20Is but has often been used in a manner that leaves his primary skill set ambiguous.
Batting or Bowling: The Unanswered Question
Is Washington Sundar a batter who bowls decent off-spin, or is he a specialist off-break bowler who can contribute a few runs? This question has circulated for some time, but the way the current team management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, has utilized him has brought it to the forefront. Neither in his 61 T20I appearances has he looked like a finisher with brute power, nor has he emerged as a spinner that opposition coaches would fear.
The result of these mediocre performances is a label that once irked Ravindra Jadeja: bits and pieces cricketer. And Sundar is not even close to Jadeja at his peak. At 26, Sundar has spent almost a decade in the senior dressing room, but his statistics tell a story of underutilization. In 61 T20Is, he has batted in only 26 innings, with a strike rate of less than 130, indicating he is not a finisher. With the ball, he has taken 51 wickets in 57 innings at an economy rate of just over 7, which is decent but not exceptional. He has bowled 1049 legal deliveries, averaging 18 balls per innings, meaning he often does not get to complete his quota of four overs.
The Pattern of Underutilization Under Gambhir
With the strategic shift in T20Is, particularly in the powerplay, Sundar, who originally entered the scene as an off-spinner bowling with the new ball, is no longer risked due to rampaging batters around the globe. On Friday against Ireland, he bowled just one over, and that too in the 16th over of the innings. With the bat, he managed only 9 runs off 12 balls at No. 6.
A pattern has emerged in the last 12 T20Is Sundar has played under Gambhir. In 10 bowling innings (two games in Australia were washouts), the number of overs he bowled in each match were: 1, 2, 4, 4, 1.2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2. In five of those 10 innings, he bowled just one over. In the match where he bowled 1.2 overs, he took his best T20I figures of 3/3 against Australia. Among the five times he was given a single over, on three occasions he was brought as first change and took a wicket but was not given another over.
Ashwin's Critique and Statistical Insights
Ravichandran Ashwin, speaking on his Hindi YouTube show 'Ash Ki Baat', criticized the team management's approach. "Washington has been backed by this team (management). He seems an automatic choice in this line-up. They are backing him but what I feel is that even as they play him, there is no specific role for him. There are times he is on the field, he gets one over, at times, he doesn't even get an over. If you guys remember, during T20 World Cup, they (team management) dropped vice-captain Axar Patel to play Washington. That much back up Washington is getting," Ashwin said.
Ashwin also pointed out the misuse of Sundar's batting role. "Even in batting, they are using him as a finisher and he is not a finisher. He should have a floating role like Axar Patel used to be used by Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid duo. It feels like a wrong role utilisation of Washington Sundar. If you really want to give Washington a long rope then bring him just after end of Powerplay. You will have to give him 4 overs like Axar. If you don't give that full quota, how will you know if he can grow into that dependable all-rounder?"
Statistical analysis supports Ashwin's view. Out of 57 bowling innings, Sundar has been given the opportunity to bowl his full quota of four overs only 25 times. When he bowls his full quota, his average economy rate drops to 6.65 (compared to career ER of 7.05) and his strike rate (balls per wicket) improves to less than 20, compared to 22.2 when he bowls partial overs.
Impact on Sundar's Career
While the Ireland series may not be a big deal, the lack of clarity in Sundar's role could hurt his development. He has more utility than a bits and pieces cricketer, but without a defined role, his potential remains untapped. The team management must decide whether he is a batter who bowls or a bowler who bats, and use him accordingly to maximize his contributions.
