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Washington Sundar shamed by fans [Source: JioHotstar]
Washington Sundar let the Gujarat Titans (GT) down big time as he played a sluggish knock in a recent IPL 2026 game against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). His struggle with the bat triggered a meme fest on social media as fans lashed out at the all-rounder.
GT were asked to bat first by PBKS on the Mullanpur surface. After Sai Sudharsan departed early, Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler stitched a 46-run partnership. However, they failed to convert it into something big.
Washington Sundar faces heat for batting struggles
Meanwhile, GT management took a bold call to promote all-rounder Washington Sundar to no. 5 over finishers like Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia.
However, the call backfired big time, as Sundar could score only 18 runs off 16 balls. He struggled to get going, avoided short balls and never looked comfortable on the crease.
His scratchy knock ended as Vijaykumar Vyshak forced him to hole out to Arshdeep Singh. Naturally, fans lashed out at GT management for trusting Sundar over specialist finishers.
Many questioned the logic and also slammed Washington Sundar for brainless batting. With that wicket, GT lost 5 wickets at 144 runs on the board in 18.1 overs.
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The Gautam Gambhir philosophy behind Sundar’s promotion
Interestingly, Washington Sundar’s promotion is not an isolated incident. This trend started when Gautam Gambhir took over as India’s head coach. Since then, Sundar has been picked repeatedly even when his performances haven’t been impactful.
For instance, in a key T20 World Cup match, he scored just 11 runs and bowled only two overs, yet continued to be backed over alternatives.
Washington Sundar was also chosen ahead of Axar Patel, India’s T20I vice-captain, which further fuelled the narrative.
The possible reason behind Gambhir's backing is that Washington Sundar offers balance, is useful against teams with left-hand-heavy lineups and the team management values his tactical flexibility.
Now, this philosophy of Sundar being a fix to all team problems has transitioned into the IPL, which is what angered the fans even more on social media.
GT post a respectable total
That being said, despite hiccups, the Gujarat Titans put a strong total of 162/6 on the board at the end of the first 20 overs. Gujarat never really gained full momentum despite decent starts.
Shubman Gill (39) and Jos Buttler (38) built a steady platform, but neither converted it into a big innings. Later, Yuzvendra Chahal (2 wickets) applied the brakes for PBKS, while Vijaykumar Vyshak (3 wickets) delivered a crucial spell to break partnerships.
Marco Jansen also impressed with a tight spell, conceding just 20 runs in his four overs. Gujarat’s scoring rate dipped significantly in the middle and death overs, with wickets falling at regular intervals.
The lack of a big finisher’s impact meant they ended with a total that looks competitive but slightly underwhelming on a typical T20 pitch.
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