Young Washington lone spark for President’s XI

Chennai: The only take-away for the Board President’s XI from the warm-up match against Australia on Tuesday was the performance of off-spinner and local boy Washington Sundar. The 17-year-old claimed two wickets, conceding 23 runs off his eight overs.

Both coach Hemang Badani and captain Gurkeerat Singh Maan praised the youngster. “I think he bowled very well and stood out in the attack. He had bowled very well in the IPL also. He knows what to do,” said Guerkeerat.

Washington scalped the wicket of captain Steve Smith who was his teammate at Rising Pune Supergiant in the previous edition of the IPL. The all-rounder, who was the highest run getter in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), couldn’t do much with the bat as the asking rate had ballooned by the time he came to the crease at no. 7.  “A lot of these guys who batted higher up the order have come here as batsmen on the back of a good domestic season. Washington came to be known as a batsman through the TNPL and had not scored impressively in the domestic season. I felt the guys who have done well in the domestic season should be given a run before him,” said Badani.

According to Badani, the message from the chairman of selectors, M.S.K. Prasad, was to give chance to as many players as possible. “That is why Washington didn’t finish his quota, even though he was bowling well,” the 40-year-old said.