Washington Sundar

Lore & Background

When Gujarat Titans entered the IPL in 2022 as a brand-new franchise, they needed a spin bowler who could do more than just bowl a few overs. Washington Sundar filled that slot with an ease that suggested he had always been part of the setup. His off-spin was not the kind that dominated headlines with five-fors; it was the kind that kept the scoreboard ticking, nudged the strike to the left-hander, and then, when the moment demanded, delivered a turner that found the base of the off stump. Titans fans learned to associate the sight of him setting up his delivery run with a sense of controlled momentum. Through the 2023 season, as Gujarat Titans pushed all the way to the IPL final, Sundar's role grew in quiet significance. In a league where pace and power dominate the narrative, his ability to bowl in the 10th to 14th over, to keep the dot-ball count alive, and to contribute with a handful of crucial runs off the bat made him one of the most dependable all-rounders in the squad. Titans supporters, many of them new to the IPL, came to recognise the clatter of his left-handed stroke and the subtle dip of his off-break as part of the franchise's identity. His departure to Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2024 marked the end of an era for GT's spin department, but the memories of his contributions during the Titans' rise remained etched in the fanbase. For a young franchise building its mythology, Sundar was one of those players whose importance was felt more than measured—a steady hand on the tiller during the seasons that defined what Gujarat Titans could be.

In Their Own Story

The Ahmedabad night was humid, the kind that made the leather of the ball slick and the pitch slow. Sundar walked to the crease, adjusted his grip, and let the stadium settle into its murmur. The batsman at the other end was a big-hitting opener, the sort who had already cleared the ropes twice in the over. Sundar didn't rush. He bowled a straight one, then a gentle turn, then another straight one. The batsman played around the off-stump, comfortable, almost bored. On the fourth ball, Sundar's fingers turned the delivery just a fraction more than the last. The ball nipped off the seam, kissed the top of the off-stump, and the bails skittered across the turf. The Titans' dressing room erupted. Sundar simply nodded, wiped his palms on his thighs, and walked back up the pitch for the next over, as if nothing remarkable had happened. That was the Washington Sundar the Titans knew: unshowy, relentless, and quietly devastating.

Reader's Guide

The moment that made Washington Sundar a Titan was not a single wicket or a boundary; it was the cumulative effect of his presence in the middle overs across two IPL seasons. Every time GT's pace battery needed a breather, Sundar was there, turning the ball, keeping the dot-ball count alive, and then, when the pressure mounted, finding that one delivery that slipped past the off-stump and left the batsman staring at the sky. Sundar is a right-arm off-break bowler who also bats left-handed, a combination that made him a natural fit for the all-round role in a T20 lineup. He was part of the Gujarat Titans squad for IPL 2022 and IPL 2023, the two seasons in which the young franchise established itself as a serious force in the league, culminating in a run to the IPL 2023 final. His bowling was not the most flamboyant in the league, but it was consistently effective, and his left-handed hitting provided a useful counterbalance in the lower order. For Titans fans, Sundar represents the quiet backbone of the team's early identity. He was the player you did not notice until he was gone, the one whose absence in the playing XI felt like a missing gear in the engine. His move to Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2024 closed a chapter, but the memories of his steady, turning spells in the Titans' blue-and-gold kit remain part of the franchise's founding story.

Did You Know?

• Washington Sundar bats left-handed while bowling right-arm off-spin, a combination that makes him a natural all-round asset in T20 cricket and gave Gujarat Titans a valuable strategic option in the middle overs.
• He was part of the Gujarat Titans squad during their run to the IPL 2023 final, contributing with both bat and ball in a season that defined the young franchise's competitive credentials.
• Sundar has represented India in limited-overs international cricket, bringing a wealth of high-pressure experience to the IPL environment during his time with the Titans.
• His off-spin style, built on subtle turn and flight rather than extreme pace or swing, made him particularly effective on the slower, drier pitches common in the IPL's middle-overs phase.