IPL has taught many valuable lessons that will find use in the England tour, says Washington Sundar
BCCI
Washington Sundar had an eventful IPL with Royal Challengers Bangalore and is keen to take forward what he has learnt to India’s England tour next month. The all-rounder feels that he will have to give his best in the England tour and as long as he is mentally prepared, he will succeed there.
Washington Sundar played only seven games this IPL for his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. This season was not very promising for the team as they had to exit after the league stage, failing to even make it to the qualifiers. However, 18-year-old Washington Sundar feels that there is a lot that he has
The Tamil Nadu cricketer was confined to four wickets in the seven matches he appeared in. Taking into account the contributions made by him in his debut for the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017 and his Man of the Series title in the Nidahas Trophy in March, the youngster would have hoped to have a more notable role to play for the Virat Kohli-led franchise. However, Sundar has a very sporty attitude towards the events in the last two months and insisted that the experience and lessons that one learns from such a tournament are more important than how the team fares.
"The experience was very good. To be honest, playing or not playing depends on the selection group. There are a lot of things involved when it comes to making the playing XI in IPL - four foreign players, team combination, etc. It's not disappointing at all. Whenever you play a long tournament like the IPL, there are a lot of things you learn irrespective of how you do," he told Times of India.
India
"I have never played cricket in England before. The challenge will be to get the best out of myself in those conditions. I should not be looking to do things too differently. I just need to be mentally prepared in all aspects. If I can do that, I have the belief that results will go my way and I can succeed there," he assessed.
The upcoming tour will be a whole new stage for Washington to prove his worth. It is the first time he has the opportunity to be a part of a full-strength Indian side led by Kohli. Having been mentored by Kohli for the last couple months, the guidelines given by the Indian skipper will definitely prove useful in ensuring a good game for Washington.
"It was amazing to play under Kohli. There are so many things to learn from the way he carries himself and the kind of intensity he brings. You cannot blink when you are playing with him. As captain, he gave me a lot of inputs in terms of strategies and tactics. It definitely helps
