Washington Sundar’s strange T20I puzzle: Talent without a fixed role leaves India’s all-rounder in limbo… what is the plan?

Belfast: In modern T20 cricket, clarity of role is everything. Yet for Washington Sundar, one of India’s most versatile all-rounders, that clarity continues to remain elusive.

During India’s first T20I against Ireland under captain Shreyas Iyer, Sundar’s selection once again sparked debate—not because of what he did, but because of what he was not allowed to do.

One over, no rhythm, and a quiet night

India entered the match with a balanced combination: two spinners, three pacers, and one all-rounder setup. Sundar, alongside Axar Patel, was expected to play a meaningful spin role.

Instead, he bowled just one over—delivered late in the innings when the match had already settled into a rhythm. With the bat, he came in at No. 6 but had little time to influence the game.

For a player picked as a dual-utility option, the usage felt limited and, at times, confusing.

A pattern that keeps repeating

This is not an isolated case.

Over the past few seasons, Sundar’s role in India’s T20I side has fluctuated sharply:

• 2024: 12 matches, 35 overs, 16 wickets
• 2025: 6 matches, 7.2 overs, 4 wickets
• 2026: 3 matches, 7 overs, 0 wickets so far

Despite being fit and available, his bowling workload has steadily declined, with several matches featuring either a single over or no meaningful spell at all.

Read more- Sanju Samson Under Pressure? Manjrekar Drops Big ‘Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’ Hint After Ireland Shock…

A promising bowler, underused asset

Statistically, Sundar remains a strong white-ball bowler:

• 61 T20Is
• 51 wickets
• Average: 24.17
• Economy: 7.05

These numbers suggest reliability, not uncertainty. Yet India’s team management has often treated him more as a flexible option rather than a frontline bowling asset.

Even under previous leadership, including Suryakumar Yadav, Sundar’s usage followed a similar pattern—sporadic spells, shifting responsibilities, and no defined bowling quota.

Batting role clearer, but still secondary

If bowling brings confusion, batting brings partial clarity.

Sundar has often been deployed in the lower middle order, usually at No. 6 or No. 7, where he has adapted reasonably well. A significant portion of his T20I runs—around 114 runs—has come from the No. 6 position.

However, even with the bat, he is rarely given a stable, game-defining role. Instead, he remains a backup option rather than a structured middle-order piece.

Tactical flexibility or wasted potential?

From a captain’s perspective, Sundar offers flexibility—he can bowl spin, contribute a few overs, and hold the bat if required. But that very flexibility appears to have worked against him.

In Belfast, Shreyas Iyer leaned heavily on pace options like Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Harshit Rana, while using Shivam Dube as a part-time option. Sundar, despite being a specialist spinner, was largely sidelined.

The question is no longer about selection—it is about purpose.

A player waiting for definition

At 25, Sundar is no longer an emerging talent. He is an established international cricketer who has played across formats and delivered match-winning performances in the past.

But in T20Is, he risks becoming a “floating asset”—always in the XI, rarely central to the plan.

Unless India clearly defines his role—either as a frontline spinner or a batting all-rounder with guaranteed overs—his career in the shortest format may continue in this uncertain cycle.

The bigger concern for India

India’s T20 setup is packed with talent, but depth without direction can often become redundancy. Sundar’s situation highlights a broader issue: the absence of role clarity for multi-skilled players.

As the team builds toward future global tournaments, the management faces a simple but important decision—either trust Sundar fully or reconsider how he fits into the XI.

For now, he remains exactly what this series showed again: selected, but not fully utilised.