Ravi Shastri has heaped praise on Washington Sundar, claiming that the 22-year-old may be India’s top all-rounder in three years if he improves his fitness. Sundar, according to Shastri, can be a natural fit in Test cricket but needs to improve his batting in the T20s.
Washington Sundar is largely regarded as one of Indian cricket’s brightest prospects. Sundar has been bowling wonderfully with pinpoint precision and can also bat with ferocity. The only area of concern is his fitness, which has forced him to sit out for a significant portion of his early career.
Ravi Shastri on Washington Sundar
India’s selections for the five-match T20I series against South Africa and the postponed final Test against England in July were revealed on Sunday by the BCCI. Sundar was left out of both the KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma squads.
Last year, the Tamil Nadu bowling all-rounder was named to the Test team, but a finger injury forced him to withdraw from the five-match series against England. Shastri was the Indian team’s head coach at the time, and Sundar made his Test debut in India’s historic Test victory against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane.
Sundar could only play three more matches following his debut due to his absence from the four Tests against England and the home Tests against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Sundar made his comeback for India in February, taking four wickets at 18.75 and scoring 57 runs in two innings in a three-match ODI series against the West Indies.
Sundar took six wickets and scored 101 runs in nine games for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2022, while the Orange Army finished eighth in the group stage with 12 points.
Sundar is the Indian team’s finest all-rounder prospect, according to Ravi Shastri, who feels the 22-year-old will eventually surpass Ravindra Jadeja in that role.
“He is going to be one of India’s leading all-rounders. He is the future. You have [Ravindra] Jadeja today. Three years down the line, if Jadeja is still fit, he will play. There is Axar [Patel] around. But this guy is your premier all-rounder across all three formats of the game. Hear what I am saying. Three formats of the game,” Shastri said.
“This guy is a serious cricketer. He is still very young, he has got to understand his own game, how good a player he is. Shot selection will come, especially for the white-ball format. [If he] works on his fitness so that he is not injury-prone, India have got a serious cricketer in him. Across all formats of the game. I think it is up to him really to do the hard yards on fitness. No excuse. He can’t depend on X, Y, Z. He has to look at himself in the mirror and say I want to work hard and I want to be the leading all-rounder in Indian cricket over the next three years. And he can do it. Easy,” he added.
