Washington Sundar delivered a standout performance on his Gujarat Titans debut, scoring a match-winning 49 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and helping his team secure a comfortable 7-wicket victory while chasing 152. The 25-year-old all-rounder walked in during the fourth over after the early dismissals of Jos Buttler and Sai Sudharsan, with Gujarat in a spot of bother. What followed was a calm and calculated innings that changed the complexion of the game.
Sundar absorbed the pressure early on and then counter-attacked with boundaries off SRH pace spearhead Mohammed Shami, including a six that signalled his intent. He stitched together a vital partnership with his captain, playing risk-free cricket and rotating the strike effectively. Although dismissed for 49 in the 14th over—just one run short of a well-deserved half-century—his knock had already done the damage and set up an easy chase for GT.
Post-match, Gujarat Titans took to social media to post a witty response to a cryptic tweet by Google CEO Sundar Pichai, writing, “Sundar came. Sundar conquered.” This came after Pichai replied to a viral post from a user who questioned how Sundar regularly makes India’s best 15 but often fails to get a place in any IPL XI despite 10 franchises. “I have been wondering this too :)” Pichai responded.
Sundar, who was recently part of India’s Champions Trophy-winning squad in Dubai, has had a stop-start IPL career so far. Prior to joining Gujarat Titans, he played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2018–2021) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (2022–2024). Despite his evident all-round ability, he has often struggled to cement a permanent spot in playing XIs.
Over 61 IPL matches, Sundar has scored 427 runs at an average of 15.25, with a best of 49, and taken 37 wickets with a respectable economy rate of 7.54. With his impactful return to the IPL fold, Sundar has once again reminded teams and fans of the value he brings as a powerplay bowler and lower-order stabiliser—traits that are rare and highly sought after in T20 cricket.