Washington Sundar made history with his maiden Test century against England in the 4th Test in Manchester, helping India secure a hard-fought draw and keep the series alive heading into the decider at The Oval, London.
M. Sundar Praises Son’s Century but Criticizes Selectors for Limited Opportunities
His father, M. Sundar, known for his honest and often critical assessments of his son's performances, praised the century but raised questions about the national selectors. He expressed frustration over the limited opportunities Washington has received in the longer format. Since his Test debut in 2017, Sundar has played only 11 matches, averaging around 45 with one century to his name.
"Washington has been doing very well consistently. However, people tend to ignore and forget his performances. Other players get regular chances — only my son doesn't," M. Sundar told The Times of India.
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He further suggested that Washington be used as a proper middle-order batter and given a consistent run at No. 5.
“Washington should consistently bat at number five like he did in the second innings of the fourth Test and get five to ten straight chances. My son was surprisingly not picked for the first Test against England. The selectors should watch his performances," he added.
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Sundar Recalls Son’s 2021 Dropping Despite Strong Performances
M. Sundar also recalled how Washington was dropped from the Test side in 2021 despite impressive performances during the England tour of India, including an unbeaten 96 on a challenging Ahmedabad pitch and an 85* on a rank turner in Chennai. It took three years for him to return to the Test setup, finally getting recalled for the Pune Test against New Zealand.
"My son gets dropped even if he fails in just one or two matches. It is not fair. Washington scored an unbeaten 85 on a rank turner in Chennai against England back in 2021 and 96* against the same opposition in Ahmedabad during the same year.
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Sundar Slams IPL Teams for Inconsistent Chances to Washington
His criticism wasn’t limited to the national selectors. M. Sundar also aimed at IPL franchises, particularly Gujarat Titans (GT), for not giving his son consistent chances to perform.
“Even his current team (GT) doesn’t give him regular chances. He showcased his calibre in the IPL 2025 Eliminator against Mumbai Indians, smashing 48 off 24 balls. Look at how Yashasvi Jaiswal has been backed by RR. Washington hasn’t had a consistent run — even in domestic cricket,” he concluded. — As quoted by TOI
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