[Watch] Washington Sundar meets aspiring cricketers in Chennai before departing for Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Team India all-rounder Washington Sundar recently met and interacted with aspiring cricketers in Chennai before departing for Australia ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Apart from sharing his experience, the talented youngster played cricket with the kids.
The Indian squad left for Australia in two batches. Sundar was among the group of players who flew in the first batch. He was joined by Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar.
Before leaving for Australia, Sundar met some fans and young cricketers. You can watch the video of the interaction below:
Washington Sundar returned to India's Test team after almost three-and-a-half years after being added to the squad for the home Test series against New Zealand.
He was a late addition, joining the team after the opening encounter. With 16 wickets across four innings, the off-spinner was the leading wicket-taker of the rubber. The 25-year-old picked up a career-best seven-wicket haul in the first innings of the second Test.
"You should really enjoy the moment, and just celebrate it" - Washington Sundar's sister Shailaja recalls the spinner's 7-wicket haul
Washington Sundar's sister Shailaja recently opened up on the all-rounder's personality. Speaking about the crafty spinner's seven-wicket haul against New Zealand, she urged her brother to enjoy his success.
She mentioned that she didn't see Sundar smile until he had bagged four or five scalps. Shailaja said during an interview with Rediff.com:
"When is at home, he is a bit more relaxed. He enjoys with my mom, pulls her leg and plays around with the pets. He is a bit chilled, but generally, we have brought up that way that we don't react much to whatever that's happening, we try to keep it very balanced. Throughout our upbringing that has really helped.
"I actually mentioned this to Washi on the evening of him picking seven wickets in Pune, I spoke to him. I was watching him, so I told him, 'You literally didn't smile until you picked 5-6 wickets. You should enjoy because you know you are doing a wonderful job, you are performing really well. You should really enjoy the moment, and just celebrate it."
Washington Sundar made his Test debut at The Gabba, Brisbane, during India's previous tour of Australia in 2020-21. He claimed four wickets across two innings and registered scores of 62 and 22, playing a crucial role in India's historic three-wicket win.
The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia will be a five-match series, beginning November 22 in Perth. India need to win the series by a margin of 4-0 to qualify for the World Test Championship 2023-25 final on their own.