Will Washington Sundar get a game in Champions Trophy?
What's the story
Washington Sundar's inclusion in India's squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 has led to a debate.
The decision to include him came as a surprise as he is now among the five spinners in the team.
Hence, many reckon India could have gone for an extra pacer instead.
But it is believed that his selection was swayed by the conditions in Dubai, where all of India's matches will be played and spinners tend to do well.
Dual capabilities
Sundar's dual role as a lower-order batter and off-spinner
Not just a spinner, Sundar is also a handy lower-order batter who can score some valuable runs.
This is in line with Gautam Gambhir's well-known liking for all-rounders.
However, the youngster needs to fight with the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, and Axar Patel for a spot in the XI.
While Jadeja and Patel are proven all-rounders in the format, Kuldeep is the team's lead spinner.
Batting position
Ashwin suggests Sundar should bat in top 5
Meanwhile, Indian cricket legend Ravichandran Ashwin has high hopes from Sundar and has suggested the team should use his batting more.
On his YouTube channel, Ashwin suggested Sundar should bat in top five as it could change the dynamics of the team.
"I feel that Washington Sundar will have a slightly higher role in the batting order. In the future, playing at 4 or 5 and bowling will give you that balance," said Ashwin.
Career statistics
Sundar's ODI career stats
Sundar has scored 329 runs in his 23-match ODI career, averaging 23.50 and strike rate of 83.50 in 15 innings.
However, he is seen as someone who doesn't have the ability to change his batting style according to different situations in limited-overs format.
This has been cited as a reason behind his not-so-impressive T20 batting numbers after so many matches.
Meanwhile, the off-spinner also owns 24 ODI scalps (ER: 4.84).
Lineup considerations
Sundar's potential batting position in India's lineup
India's top five batters are pretty much established, leaving little room for changes or new faces.
If Sundar is to play, he would most probably be slotted at No.7 or below in the batting order.
With KL Rahul keeping wickets and Hardik Pandya being the designated finisher, there appears to be no room for Sundar's promotion in the batting order.
Prospects
Will Sundar get a game?
Notably, Sundar played just one of the three games in the recent ODI series against England. Batting in the lower order, he scored 14 runs besides taking a wicket.
At the same time, the likes of Jadeja and Patel were impressive in the series.
Hence, Sundar is unlikely to get a game at CT unless and untill there is an injury concern.