Washington Sundar has been around Indian cricket for so long that it’s easy to forget he’s only 26. He debuted for India before he turned 19, walked into the Gabba Test as an emergency pick and ended up part of one of the great Test wins, then spent years being shuffled in and out of the side by injuries, selection calls and a role nobody could quite pin down. Then 2025 and 2026 happened: a maiden Test hundred at Old Trafford, a T20 World Cup title on home soil, a fighting fifty in an IPL final, and, on 3 October 2026, an Asian Games gold medal with two wickets against Pakistan.
So if you ended up here searching Washington Sundar stats, Washington Sundar age, Washington Sundar wife, Washington Sundar height, or the latest Washington Sundar news about his injury, the CSK trade talk and how Gautam Gambhir uses him, you’re in the right spot. It’s all here, with context on how he built this career.
Washington Sundar Stats & Profile
| Attribute | Detail |
| Full / Real Name | Washington Sundar (sometimes written as Sundar Washington) |
| Nickname | Washi |
| Date of Birth | 5 October 1999 |
| Age | 26 years (turns 27 on 5 October 2026) |
| Birthplace / Native Place | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Role | Bowling all-rounder, left handed batter |
| Bowling Style | Right arm off break |
| National Team | India (2017 to present) |
| ODI / T20I Jersey Number | 5 |
| Domestic Team | Tamil Nadu |
| IPL Team (2026) | Gujarat Titans |
| IPL 2026 Price | Rs 3.2 crore |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Education | St. Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School; degree from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai |
Early Life & Background
His story starts in a cricket household. Washington Sundar was born on 5 October 1999 in Chennai into a Tamil Hindu family, and his father, Mani Sundar, was a keen cricketer who was once in consideration for the Tamil Nadu state side. Here’s the bit that trips everyone up: the first name. Sundar was named after P. D. Washington, a retired army officer who helped his father financially during his own playing days. So no, “Washington” isn’t a stage name or a nickname, it’s a thank you, and it’s also the answer to every “Washington Sundar real name” search out there.
He picked up a bat at four or five, and like Ravichandran Ashwin before him, he started out as a batter and slowly became an off-spinner. He went to St. Bede’s in Chennai, later finished a degree at Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, and made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu on 6 October 2016, a day after his 17th birthday. He’d already played the 2016 Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, where India finished runners-up. In October 2017 he scored his maiden first-class century against Tripura, and by then the IPL had already come calling.
Washington Sundar Family Background
| Relation | Name | Details |
| Father | Mani Sundar | Former club level cricketer, considered for Tamil Nadu |
| Sister | Shailaja Sundar (M. S. Shailaja) | Professional cricketer |
| Namesake | P. D. Washington | Retired army officer who supported his father |
Anyone searching for Washington Sundar father or Washington Sundar sister will find the family stays pretty private. His sister Shailaja plays cricket herself, and she’s talked about the two of them spending school holidays on the ground, imitating left handers like Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh. Details about his mother aren’t widely public. His father made headlines in 2025 when comments about selectors seemed to question how his son was being used, but he later said they’d been taken out of context and thanked the BCCI and coach Gautam Gambhir for backing Washington’s comeback.
Washington Sundar Religion and Background
Short answer: Washington Sundar is Hindu, from a Tamil family in Chennai. People often assume otherwise because of the first name, but that goes back to the army officer mentioned above and nothing else. On the Washington Sundar caste question, which gets searched a lot, there’s nothing he’s ever said publicly and no reliable record, so there’s no point guessing. He has never made it part of how he presents himself, and honestly, his cricket has always been the thing people talk about.
Washington Sundar Wife, Girlfriend & Personal Life
Washington Sundar is unmarried as of October 2026, which means there’s no Washington Sundar wife and no genuine Washington Sundar wife photo. If you’ve seen a picture floating around captioned that way, it’s either fake or someone else entirely. The same goes for the Washington Sundar girlfriend and Washington Sundar gf searches. Gossip pages have linked him with a couple of public figures over the years, but he has never confirmed a relationship, and there’s no credible source for any of it. He keeps his personal life close, and his Instagram mostly sticks to cricket, family and training.
How His Career Actually Unfolded
| Phase | Years | Notes |
| Age group & domestic rise | 2016 to 2017 | U19 World Cup runner-up; first-class debut for Tamil Nadu |
| IPL breakthrough | 2017 | Replaced Ashwin at Rising Pune Supergiant; 3 for 16 in Qualifier 1 |
| Early international years | 2017 to 2019 | ODI and T20I debut in December 2017; Nidahas Trophy star in 2018 |
| Net bowler to Test debutant | 2020 to 2021 | 62 and four wickets at the Gabba |
| Injury-hit stretch | 2021 to 2023 | Finger, shoulder and IPL injuries kept interrupting momentum |
| Comeback | 2023 | Asia Cup final, Asian Games gold in Hangzhou |
| Test breakthrough | 2024 to 2025 | 7 for 59 against New Zealand; 101 not out at Old Trafford |
| World titles | 2025 to 2026 | Champions Trophy squad, T20 World Cup winner |
| Latest chapter | Oct 2026 | Asian Games gold in Japan; Test prep for New Zealand |
His international career effectively began in December 2017. He was added to the ODI squad against Sri Lanka as cover for the injured Kedar Jadhav, debuted on 13 December at Mohali, and then made his T20I debut on 24 December at the age of 18 years and 80 days, which made him the youngest Indian to play a T20I. Three months later, at the 2018 Nidahas Trophy, his tight powerplay bowling won plenty of admirers and he became a regular in the T20I side.
The real plot twist came in January 2021. He’d been taken to Australia as a net bowler. Injuries to others and COVID quarantine rules meant India couldn’t fly in replacements, so he got a Test cap at the Gabba. He took Steve Smith’s wicket, scored 62 in a 123 run partnership with Shardul Thakur for the seventh wicket, and India won the Test and the series. Few players get a debut like that.
Washington Sundar Stats: International Career
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s / 50s | Highest Score | Wickets | Best Bowling |
| Test | 18 | 937 | 44.62 | 46.90 | 1 / 6 | 101* | 41 | 7/59 (11/115 in a match) |
| ODI | 34 | 445 | 22.25 | 82.56 | 0 / 2 | 52 | 30 | 3/30 |
| T20I | 65 | 286 | 15.89 | 128.25 | 0 / 1 | 50 | 56 | 3/3 |
The Test highlights are worth walking through. At Ahmedabad in 2021, he narrowly missed a century against England, remaining unbeaten on 96 in an innings that fans still talk about. In October 2024, as India faced a 3-0 home series defeat against New Zealand, the selectors recalled him from the Ranji Trophy. He seized the opportunity by taking 7 wickets for 59 runs in Pune and finished as the series’ leading wicket-taker with 16 wickets.
That winter he also scored 50 at the MCG in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Then came England in 2025. After India lost the opening Test at Headingley, 101 not out at No. 5 at Old Trafford to save the fourth Test, and 53 in the final innings at The Oval. He scored 284 runs at an average of 47.33 in four Tests and earned the title of India’s Impact Player of the Series, as India finished the series in a 2-2 draw.
His most recent Tests were more mixed. In November 2025, India promoted him to No. 3 against South Africa in Kolkata, where he scored 29 and 31 runs. However, he bowled very little, and India suffered a 408-run defeat in the Guwahati Test. In June 2026 he came back for a one-off Test against Afghanistan, scoring 52 off 68 and picking up four wickets for 36 as India won.
Washington Sundar Centuries and Highest Scores
For the record, here’s where the Washington Sundar highest score stands in each format.
| Format | Highest Score | Notable Innings |
| Test | 101* | Against England, Old Trafford, July 2025 (first Test century) |
| ODI | 52 | Match winning unbeaten innings at Edgbaston against England, July 2026 |
| T20I | 50 | Against New Zealand, January 2023 (maiden fifty) |
| IPL | 55 | Against Delhi Capitals, Delhi, IPL 2026 (maiden IPL fifty) |
His one international hundred came when India needed it most.
Washington Sundar Jersey Number
The Washington Sundar jersey number for India in ODIs and T20Is is 5.
IPL Career Journey (Team-by-Team)
| Years | Team | Notes |
| 2017 | Rising Pune Supergiant | Joined as a replacement for Ashwin; debut on 22 April 2017 |
| 2018 to 2021 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Bought for Rs 3.2 crore at the 2018 auction |
| 2022 to 2024 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Bought for Rs 8.75 crore in 2022 mega auction |
| 2025 to present | Gujarat Titans | Bought for Rs 3.2 crore in 2025 auction; retained for IPL 2026 |
His IPL story is the Washington Sundar career in miniature: huge promise, then a lot of waiting. He announced himself in 2017 with Player of the Match in Qualifier 1 against Mumbai Indians, taking 3 for 16 as Ashwin’s replacement. His Washington Sundar RCB years (2018 to 2021) made him a powerplay specialist before injury cut the 2021 season short. The Sunrisers spell, which began with that Rs 8.75 crore price in 2022, was less happy, and he was ruled out of IPL 2023 midway through.
Gujarat Titans picked him up in 2025 for Rs 3.2 crore, the same price RCB had paid seven years earlier. That season, the Washington Sundar IPL 2025 numbers were modest: six matches, 133 runs and two wickets, with a best of 49 off 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which was then the highest score of his IPL career. The Washington Sundar IPL team 2025 was GT, and the Washington Sundar IPL salary stayed at Rs 3.2 crore.
Washington Sundar IPL 2026: Runs, Stats and the Final
Everything changed in 2026. GT used him as a middle-order batter, and it worked. Across 17 matches he scored 377 runs at an average of 37.70 and a strike rate of 150.20, with three fifties. If you’re searching Washington Sundar runs in IPL 2026, that’s the number. The Washington Sundar highest score in IPL came in the season’s 14th match against Delhi Capitals: a 32-ball 55 at No. 4, with six fours and two sixes, in a 104 run partnership with captain Shubman Gill. It was his maiden IPL fifty. Against Punjab Kings, he finished a tense chase of 164 with an unbeaten 40 off 23 balls, sealing it with a scooped six off Marcus Stoinis in the final over.
His bowling got far less work. He bowled just over nine overs in the whole tournament and took one wicket (1/27 against Punjab Kings), so the Washington Sundar IPL stats for 2026 are really a batting story. His career IPL record now stands at 83 matches, 888 runs and 40 wickets, with a strike rate of 135.37 and best bowling of 3/16.
GT lost to RCB in Qualifier 1, beat Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 and then reached the final in Ahmedabad on 31 May. Sundar made an unbeaten 50 off 37 balls and was the top scorer in a total of 155/8, but Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 75 helped RCB chase it down by five wickets for a second straight title.
Washington Sundar to CSK: The Trade That Never Happened
If you remember the noise in October and November 2025, the Washington Sundar to CSK story was everywhere. Reports from Tamil media claimed GT had agreed to trade him to Chennai Super Kings for Rs 3.2 crore, the exact figure they had paid in the auction. The logic was easy to see: CSK needed a spinner after Ashwin retired from the IPL, they’d had a rough 2025, and Sundar is a Chennai boy who’d played under Stephen Fleming at Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. Ashwin even said Sundar told him he’d seen the speculation but knew of no deal.
Then it fell apart. GT head coach Ashish Nehra shut the rumours down, saying Washington was an integral part of the set-up. CSK’s reported offer was turned down, the trade window closed, and the Washington Sundar CSK trade never happened. He stayed at Gujarat Titans, was retained for IPL 2026 at Rs 3.2 crore, and had the season described above. So if you’re still searching “is Washington Sundar trade to CSK” or “Washington Sundar CSK trade”, the answer is no, and his Washington Sundar IPL 2026 team was GT.
Gautam Gambhir and Washington Sundar: The Usage Debate
You can’t write about Sundar in 2026 without talking about Gautam Gambhir. Since Gambhir took over as India’s head coach in July 2024, Sundar has been one of the players he’s clearly trusted. Sundar’s father and sister have both credited the coach for helping bring out the best in him, particularly after the New Zealand series in late 2024.
The Gautam Gambhir Washington Sundar usage question, though, is where opinions split. Supporters say Gambhir sees a genuine all-rounder who can fill whatever gap the team has. Critics say the role keeps changing. Dinesh Karthik warned in late 2025 that pushing Sundar up to No. 3 in Tests would cost him with the ball, and the Kolkata Test, where he bowled one over, seemed to prove it. Sanjay Manjrekar took a sarcastic swipe after India’s Super 8 loss to South Africa at the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Sundar had been promoted up the order. And Ashwin argued earlier this year that Sundar has the team’s backing but no clear role, pointing out that he’s bowled his full four overs only 25 times in 57 bowling innings in T20Is, averaging just 18 balls per innings. Ashwin also noted that India dropped vice-captain Axar Patel for Sundar during the World Cup.
Both camps have a point. Flexibility makes him useful, but flexibility without a defined job can slow growth.
Washington Sundar Injury History
Being injury-prone is the one criticism that follows him everywhere, and the record backs it up.
| When | Injury | What it cost |
| 2021 | Finger injury suffered in England | Rest of the England Tests, IPL 2021 resumption and the 2021 T20 World Cup |
| August 2022 | Left shoulder after a heavy fall during his Lancashire stint | Months of rehab |
| 2023 | Injury during IPL 2023 | Ruled out midway through the season |
| January 2026 | Left lower rib discomfort in the Vadodara ODI against New Zealand | Ruled out of the ODI series and the five T20Is |
| July 2026 | Hamstring strain in the Cardiff ODI against England | Ruled out of the third ODI and the Sri Lanka Tests |
The July injury happened while he was running a single in the 33rd over at Cardiff. The Washington Sundar ruled out 3rd ODI news followed, leaving India without a like-for-like all-rounder for the Lord’s decider. January’s Washington Sundar ruled out T20I headlines meant he missed all five T20Is against New Zealand. He was cleared on 8 September 2026, in time for the Afghanistan T20Is and the Asian Games.
Washington Sundar in the 2026 T20 World Cup and Other Honours
| Honour | Year | Detail |
| ICC Under-19 World Cup | 2016 | Runner-up with India in Bangladesh |
| Asian Games | 2023 | Gold medal in Hangzhou |
| Asia Cup | 2023 | Winner, played the final as a late replacement |
| ICC Champions Trophy | 2025 | Winner, part of the squad |
| ICC T20 World Cup | 2026 | Winner, India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the final |
| Asian Games | 2026 | Gold medal in Japan |
| Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy | 2025 | Named India’s Impact Player of the series |
India won the T20 World Cup on 8 March 2026 in Ahmedabad, their third title and second in a row, with Sundar in the squad. His own role was patchy, which is what the usage debate above is about. He played the Super 8 match against South Africa on 22 February, which India lost.
Washington Sundar Net Worth
There’s no official figure, so treat everything below as a ballpark.
| Estimate Range | Approx. USD |
| Rs 30 crore to Rs 50 crore | $3.5 million to $5.5 million |
What’s known is where the money comes from: his BCCI central contract and match fees, an IPL salary of Rs 3.2 crore (which has been the same for both 2025 and 2026 at Gujarat Titans), earlier IPL pay at RCB and Sunrisers, and a handful of brand endorsements.
Washington Sundar News: Latest Updates
This is where things stand right now, and it’s more eventful than usual.
The headline on 3 October 2026 is the Asian Games gold. Shreyas Iyer’s India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the final at Nisshin, retaining the title they won in Hangzhou in 2023. Sundar bowled his four overs for 29 and took 2 wickets, including Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan early on and Abdul Samad, and he held a sharp catch in the field. Earlier in the tournament he took 1 for 18 in the semi-final against Sri Lanka, and in a historic first T20I against Japan he took 2 for 13.
The other news was on 1 October. The BCCI withdrew him from the T20I squad for the five-match series against the West Indies, starting 6 October in Lucknow, with Naman Dhir named as his replacement. Before anyone panics, this isn’t an injury. The selectors want him playing red-ball cricket for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy, because the two-Test series in New Zealand begins on 19 November, part of a tour running from 22 October to 1 December that also includes five T20Is and five ODIs. So the Washington Sundar ruled out T20I headlines are really about planning, and they suggest the team sees him as a Test regular.
Playing Style: What Makes Washington Sundar Different
He’s tall for an off-spinner, and that height gives him extra bounce. He bowls tight lines, rarely leaks runs in the powerplay, and he’s a safe fielder. With the bat he’s a compact left hander whose solid defence suits Test cricket, and this IPL showed he can hit when asked. He isn’t a big wicket-taker in white ball cricket, and his T20I economy of about 7.10 looks high until you remember how many powerplay overs he’s been handed. What he offers is balance, which is why captains keep picking him and why critics keep asking what his job is.
Washington Sundar’s Legacy So Far
At 26, with years of prime cricket ahead, calling it a legacy feels early. But two stories already stand out: the Gabba debutant who wasn’t supposed to play and still made a vital 62, and the Test all-rounder who answered a series defeat with 7 for 59, then saved a Test at Old Trafford with a hundred. Add a T20 World Cup, a Champions Trophy and two Asian Games golds, and it’s already a good career. What he needs now is a settled role and a clean bill of health. If New Zealand gives him both, the next chapter could be the big one.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Born 5 October 1999, Washington Sundar is 26 years old, and he turns 27 on 5 October 2026.
He is 6 ft 1 in tall, which is about 185 cm.
He doesn’t have one. Washington Sundar is unmarried as of October 2026, and he hasn’t confirmed any relationship.
He comes from a Tamil Hindu family in Chennai.
Gujarat Titans, who retained him at Rs 3.2 crore. The Washington Sundar to CSK trade rumours in late 2025 did not lead to a deal.
377 runs in 17 matches at an average of 37.70 and a strike rate of 150.20, with a highest score of 55 against Delhi Capitals.
No. He was declared fit on 8 September 2026 after the hamstring injury he picked up in July and played at the Asian Games. His withdrawal from the West Indies T20Is is for Ranji Trophy and Test preparation.
Estimates range from Rs 30 crore to Rs 50 crore, but there is no official number.
ODI on 13 December 2017, T20I on 24 December 2017 (aged 18 years and 80 days), and Test on 15 January 2021 at the Gabba.
Source: CricInfo
