"Give him the confidence that he is going to play" - Murali Kartik on how SRH should handle Washington Sundar
Former spinner Murali Kartik believes that Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) should use Washington Sundar better in their remaining matches of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
Kartik opined that the all-rounder must feature in Hyderabad's starting XI. He suggested that SRH shouldn't just bring Sundar in as an 'impact player', but should include him in the main team.
The cricketer-turned-commentator emphasized that Sundar should be handed the ball right from the first over, given his ability to bowl tidy spells in the powerplay. He also mentioned that the left-handed batter should be promoted in the batting order.
Kartik made these comments after Hyderabad's 14-run loss to Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Tuesday, April 18. He said:
"First of all, give him [Washington Sundar] the confidence that he is going to play. He is not an 'impact player', he is a main player. It would have been understandable if Sundar was being used as an 'impact player' if they had Harbhajan and Ashwin in their team.
"He bowls really well in the powerplay and should be given the first over. They also need to make him bat higher."
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Sundar has struggled to get going with both the bat and the ball in this year's cash-rich league. He bowled a decent spell against Mumbai, conceding 33 runs from his full quota of four overs.
He was surprisingly sent in at No. 9 during SRH's run chase. He managed 10 runs from six balls before being run out. The side ultimately failed to chase down the 193-run target.
"The captain and the management will have to show faith in him" - Virender Sehwag on Washington Sundar
During the same discussion, former opening batter Virender Sehwag also urged the SRH think tank to show faith in Washington Sundar's abilities.
He pointed out that while Sundar hasn't been able to make a significant impact so far, he is capable of turning things around in the upcoming games.
On this, Sehwag said:
"Hyderabad have not used Washington Sundar well. The captain needs to know where and how to use him. No doubt his numbers haven't been good, but that can happen.
"You can perform badly in four or five matches, but can still do well in the remaining games. The captain and the management will have to show faith in him."
Sundar has mustered just 27 runs from three innings and has a dismal strike rate of 69.23 to his name in IPL 2023. Furthermore, he is yet to take a single wicket this season.