Washington Sundar is being said to be the biggest culprit of India’s humiliating defeat at the hands of Ireland in the first T20I match. Off-spin all-rounder Washington bowled 1 over against Ireland on Friday (26 June), in which he conceded 19 runs. After this he failed in batting also. He scored only 9 runs after playing 12 balls. After this flop show, questions are being raised about his place in the team. People say that neither is he passing the ball nor is he batting, yet on what basis are he being given opportunities?
Washington has not been able to take any wicket in the last 4 T20Is
Washington have been empty handed in the last 4 T20I matches. Before entering the match against Ireland, he played 3 T20I matches in Ahmedabad, in which he did not take a single wicket in his account. In the fifth and last T20I match against South Africa in December 2025, he conceded 30 runs in 4 overs. After this, in the T20 World Cup, the Netherlands batsmen scored 36 runs in 4 overs against them.
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Washington again got a chance against South Africa in the Super-8 match and again could not take any wicket. He was given 2 overs of bowling, in which he gave 17 runs. His performance with the bat has been worse. He has had his turn to bat twice in the last 4 T20I matches and has been able to add only 20 runs at a very poor strike rate of 86.95. During this period, only 1 boundary has come from his bat.
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Question mark on Washington’s strike rate
Washington, who has been playing T20 International cricket for almost 9 years, has a career strike rate of 129.24. He usually bats lower down the order, where such a low strike rate is unacceptable. He has played 61 T20I matches so far, in which he has been able to score only 274 runs in 26 innings. His bowling figures are slightly better. He has taken 51 wickets at an economy of 7.05. This year his economy has crossed 10, due to which questions are being raised that he is neither a match winner with the bat nor is he able to do wonders with the ball, yet what is the team management adamant on? Why are talented players being fed by keeping them out?
Even the vice-captain Akshar Patel was dropped from the playing XI for Washington in the T20 World Cup, which created a lot of uproar. Captain Suryakumar Yadav himself considered it his mistake and apologized to Akshar. Now, in the opening match of the Ireland series, an in-form all-rounder like Suryansh Shedge was seen on the bench due to Washington.
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