Why Washington Sundar remains a work in progress at GT
Just before the IPL retentions towards the end of last year, Washington Sundar faced a dilemma. One of the players most affected by the arrival of the Impact Player rule, Washington’s game time had been shrinking in the IPL. For a player who was struggling to cement a spot in India’s T20 and ODI setup, the lack of game time was far from ideal. It was around this time that Chennai Super Kings explored the possibility of a trade with Gujarat Titans (GT), which would have seen the 26-year-old turn out for a team from his hometown. The temptation must have been hard to ignore. But after a round of talks, the all-rounder chose to remain in GT and fight his way through. Around the same time, the 2022 IPL champions sprung a surprise. For a franchise thin on firepower in the middle-order, they traded Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai and put their faith in Washington to fill the middle-order role. It didn’t matter that the all-rounder had played only six matches last season. That he …
