Washington Sundar is touted to be the next big thing for Indian cricket. The 17-year-old who rose to prominence with his performances in the 2017 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) will be part of the Board President's XI team that faces visiting Australia in a 50-over warm-up game in Chennai on September 12, ahead of the latter's limited-overs series against Team India.
Coming in as a last-minute replacement for his Tamil Nadu senior R Ashwin, Sundar had been Rising Pune Supergiants skipper Steve Smith's go-to-man in the IPL.
At 17, he was also the youngest to feature in an IPL final earlier this year. The off-spinner gave away just 13 runs from his four overs, which were bowled inside the powerplay, days after he had removed Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayudu in a match-winning spell in Qualifier 1.
Sundar, who had also been part of India's U-19 World Cup team in 2016, did not stop there. His hunger was evident when he turned up to play for Tuti Patriots in the recently-concluded Tamil Nadu Premier League. The teenager showed he is capable of hurting the opposition not just with the ball but also with the bat.
Opening the batting for Tuti, Sundar — who started his career as a batsman before concentrating on bowling — finished on top of the run-scorers' list with 459 from nine matches at 76.50.
He struck a century as well and bagged the Man of the Match award in four consecutive matches. He snared 15 wickets, which saw him ingfinish second on the bowling charts.
Sundar now is ecstatic after getting the much-deserved call-up to the Board President's XI team. He will be squaring off against his former IPL captain Smith on Tuesday in front of his home crowd.
Ahead of what will a momentous occasion in his budding career, Sundar spoke exclusively International Business Times, India, about his net sessions with Smith and why he considers MS Dhoni his role model.
The youngster, who is determined to give a hint of what is to come for Australia in the upcoming series, also spoke about the visitors' chances against an in-form Virat Kohli's team. Here are the excerpts from the interview.
IBT: Did you expect the Board President's XI call-up?
Sundar: I expected a good opportunity after my performances in IPL. I wasn't so eager or fully into it. But a part of me knew that I would get an opportunity somewhere since I performed well in IPL. I thought something might knock on my door soon.
IBT: How excited are you about facing Australia and playing against Smith?
Sundar: I have played many times alongside Smith. But now I am going to play against him. I have bowled aplenty to him at the nets. We had a lot of fun whenever we played together. I am now looking forward to bowling at him now.
Also read: India vs Australia, ODIs & T20Is -- Full schedule and venues
IBT: How will Australia fare against Virat Kohli's Team India, especially after their recent Test defeat to Bangladesh?
Sundar: Given India's current form, they look unbeatable. Even a World XI side will find it difficult to beat them. At the same time, Australians command respect with the way they play their game, regardless of the opposition and the occasion.
So I am expecting a cracking contest between India and Australia this time. Smith's side is dangerous irrespective of location. Even if they are coming after a poor series, they will look dangerous with the brand of cricket they play.
IBT: You have now established yourself as a solid batsman. What will your role be in the Board President's XI team?
Sundar: I am not sure about what role I will get to play. But, if I get an opportunity, I would want to do really well both with the bat and the ball. I don't want to look too far ahead also. I want to keep it simple as well.
IBT: Who is your biggest role-model?
Sundar: I grew up watching Brian Lara. After a point, I really admired watching Yuvraj Singh bat. My role model now though is MS Dhoni.
Why Dhoni?
Sundar: I have had a lot of memorable conversations with him [during my time with the Supergiants]. Every time I went and spoke to him, he made sure he gave me valid ideas. The tips he gives are very simple but they work magic.
IBT: Plans for next IPL? What if Chennai Super Kings come calling?
Sundar: It [a new IPL team] is definitely not in my hands. I have no say when it comes to choosing a team.
But I definitely want to be two times better than how I was in the 2017 season. I will definitely work hard for it. There is nothing else on my mind regarding the options.
Board President's XI take on Australia in the only warm-up match before the limited-overs series (five ODIs and three T20Is) in Chennai on Tuesday, September 12.
Complete Board President's XI squad
Rahul Tripathi, Mayank Agarwal, Shivam Chaudhary, Washington Sundar, Nitish Rana, Govind Poddar, Gurkeerat Singh Mann (Captain), Shreevats Goswami, Rahil Shah, Akshay Karnewar, Kulwant Khejroliya, Kushang Patel, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Sharma.
