Washington Sundar doesn't fit in India's T20I squad. Image Credits: BCCI
A notable feature of India’s team management under Gautam Gambhir has been the backing given to specific players. One of them has been the spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar.
Sundar has slowly become a mainstay across formats in the last couple of years, with the team trying to develop him into their main spin all-rounder. While his performances have been reasonably good in Test cricket, he hasn’t shown enough utility in white-ball formats, especially T20Is.
Examining Washington Sundar’s bowling underutilisation in T20Is
Washington Sundar has often played as an all-rounder, but has hardly contributed enough in any department. Since 2025, Sundar has played nine T20Is and has bowled only 14.2 overs across seven innings.
He has completed his quota only twice and bowled two overs or fewer in the other five outings. The all-rounder has been wicketless in five of seven innings and conceded 9 runs per over.
It’s not that India have used him as a matchup bowler either. Washington Sundar has bowled only 30.23% of balls against LHBs, having an economy rate of 9 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 4.33.
Teams have not shown enough promise in Washington Sundar's bowling
And this has been a common pattern even in IPL. Playing 23 matches for the Gujarat Titans, Sundar has bowled in only 43.47% of the innings, snaring just three wickets at 65 runs apiece and an economy rate of 9.75 across 20 sets.
He either doesn’t bowl at all, or when he does, those overs are just fillers. Both India and GT have banked upon their main bowlers to do the job rather than trusting Sundar most of the time.
Sundar’s low batting value
Unfortunately, Washington Sundar’s batting has also been underutilised and doesn’t add enough value either. In the nine matches he has played since last year, the southpaw has faced only 87 balls across six outings.
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So even when he bats, Sundar faces only 14.50 deliveries on average, and only once has he played more than 20 balls in an innings. He has accumulated 113 runs at a tepid average of 22.60 and a strike rate of 129.88.
A major problem has been his improper usage as a batter. All six of his innings have come at No.5 or below, with India looking to use him as a pace-hitter in the finisher’s role.
Washington Sundar needs to bat in the top four
That has never been his strength, even if his range has improved in recent times. He still needs some time to get going and has never succeeded in the lower order.
GT did well to use him at No.4 or 5, and Sundar immediately found success with the willow. But India don’t have a spot vacant in the top and upper middle order, with multiple specialist batters already vying for a place.
They have tried to fit Sundar in a role he can’t play. As good as his skills are, India don’t need him in the T20I setup, especially with Axar Patel around.
Who should be the second spin-bowling all-rounder in India’s T20I side?
Undoubtedly, India need a backup for Axar Patel. They should prefer a spinner who bowls more overs with better skills and adds depth in the lower order.
Krunal Pandya remains the best choice in this category, particularly after two consecutive successful IPL seasons. No other finger spinner has taken as many wickets as Krunal (31), and he has conceded just 8.33 runs per over in the last couple of IPL editions.
He is one of the best defensive spinners in the country and can whack pace while also acting as a floater. Since 2025, Krunal has had a strike rate of 144.29 and a balls-per-boundary ratio of 5.18 against pace.
Among other options are Vipraj Nigam, Anukul Roy, and Riyan Parag. However, the former two need to develop more and gain exposure, while Parag, despite being a useful bowler, needs to contribute more with the ball.
Parag’s pace game is vastly superior to most other options, and he could be the solution for other slots, too. The all-rounder can replace Tilak Varma at No.5 or bat as a floater.
Still, his bowling needs more work, since India need a better bowler in this role. That’s where Krunal stands out.
He also brings enough experience and understands how to contribute with both bat and ball across phases. For Axar Patel's backup role, Krunal is the best fit due to his immense bowling value and should be selected ahead of Washington Sundar.
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