Ind vs Eng Test series: Sai Sudharsan draws inspiration from THIS player for national debut

Sai Sudharsan (Pic: File Pic)

Washington Sundar's rise from domestic leagues to international cricket has served as a major inspiration for Sai Sudharsan, who is all set to make his debut for Team India in the upcoming Test series against England.

"I had played a few games against him (junior level). So, it's always special. We have looked up to him a lot, and the way he went up and played for the country, it was real quick, I had that in my mind," Sai told BCCI.TV.

"He (Washington) did well in the IPL. Then he played for the country, so it was great motivation for me, that someone from Chennai (is playing for India). Knowing him and playing with him since we were young, it made me feel I also want to do it the same way. He was an inspiration," added the left-hander.

Sudharsan earned his India call-up following a series of stellar performances for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025.

Back in 2016, Washington Sundar was primarily playing as a specialist batter for India U-19 in the Junior World Cup. Within a year and a half, he made his ODI debut at the age of 18. In 2021, he debuted in Tests at 20 and became one of the standout performers in India's memorable Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph.

On the other hand, Sundar himself had high praise for the rising left-hander from Tamil Nadu. "Lot of my coaches and friends as well, constantly spoke about his (Sai Sudharsan's) growth in his cricketing career, always grown, only managed to get better," said Sundar.

"Every time I watched him (Sudharsan) on TV, there was a lot to take from his skill-set, kind of work ethic, which definitely inspired a lot of kids," added the 25-year-old.

The five-match Test series will take place from June 20 to August 4, with matches scheduled at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's and The Oval (London), and Old Trafford (Manchester).

India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

England squad for first Test vs India: Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Ben Stokes (capt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.

(With PTI inputs)