Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has raised serious concerns regarding Washington Sundar’s role and performance in the Indian cricket team. After Sundar was benched for the third ODI against South Africa, Kaif criticised the team management for a lack of clarity surrounding the all-rounder's position in the squad.
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Sundar’s recent outings have been underwhelming. In the first two ODIs of the series, he struggled to make an impact with the bat, scoring just 13 and 1 runs respectively. His bowling opportunities were also scarce, as Washington Sundar bowled a total of only seven overs across both matches. Kaif noted that this underutilization signals a lack of confidence from the leadership.
According to Kaif, captains across different formats seem hesitant to trust Sundar with a full quota of overs, especially in crunch situations. Instead, they often turn to more experienced options like Ravindra Jadeja or Kuldeep Yadav when the match gets tight.
Expressing his concerns on his YouTube channel, Kaif stated, “The management should define what Washington's role really is. Skill-wise, he is nowhere close to Ashwin as a spinner. Across formats, different captains have avoided giving him full overs. When the match gets tight, they always go to Jadeja or Kuldeep. That shows the lack of trust in his wicket-taking ability. He has a lot of work to do on his bowling.”
Kaif urged Head Coach Gautam Gambhir to step in and provide clear direction. He emphasised that while batting ability is valuable, Sundar’s primary responsibility must remain taking wickets. If his bowling skills continue to dip, his place in the side could be in jeopardy.
Kaif issued a stern warning about the all-rounder's current trajectory, “Right now, he looks neither like a reliable bowler nor a dependable batter. You want him to bat more, but his bowling is dipping. His main job is to take wickets; batting is supposed to be a bonus. If his bowling keeps slipping and the team doesn't give him overs, he'll fall further behind. He needs clearer direction and must work on his variations and skill set if he wants a long run in international cricket.”
The message is simple: Washington Sundar needs to work on his bowling variations, and the management needs to decide exactly how they want to use him if he is to have a long international career.
