All-format players are a shrinking breed as cricket's calendar becomes more crowded then ever but happy to be a part of that tribe, Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar sees it as a "beautiful blessing" rather than a massive challenge
Washington Sundar (File pic)
As cricket's schedule gets busier than ever, all-format players are becoming fewer in number. Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar is glad to be a part of that tribe and views it as a "beautiful blessing" rather than a huge task.
Over the past 18 months, Washington has been a consistent member of the national team despite dealing with a fair number of injuries during his India career, which started in 2017.
"Being an all-format player for the Indian cricket team is a massive blessing. Because we all know the kind of cricket that the Indian team has always played," he told PTI in an interview.
"And getting to play three formats is a beautiful blessing. And obviously, looking forward to a lot of more good contributions from myself and eventually win a lot of games for my country," he said.
Washington, who is presently playing for the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, added that he has recently put a lot of effort into improving his fitness, which has enabled him to receive frequent opportunities in a variety of forms.
He had a side strain leading into the T20 World Cup but was able to recover just in time.
'Fitness plays a big role in playing all formats'
Washington said he knows his body better than ever now, and this is helping him stay in shape for top-flight cricket.
"I don't see too many challenges there. Yes, fitness plays a massive role. And you have got to understand how your body sort of works across situations, across conditions," Washington Sundar said.
"And obviously, (it helps in) playing different roles and training accordingly. I've always given a lot of importance to understanding my own body. And yes, as I said, things have been really good in the last year," he added.
In the shorter formats, he has had to evolve as a batter, and that includes polishing his power game.
"Yeah, definitely. I mean, you have got to play different roles slightly differently and understand what's required of yourself, especially in terms of skills and work accordingly," Washington said when asked about the power-hitting aspect of the game.
(With PTI Input)
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