India’s young talent Washington Sundar has impressed everyone with his all-round capabilities ever since he made his international debut. Washington played his maiden Test at Gabba in Brisbane against Australia and scored a vital 62 in the first innings where the Ajinkya Rahane and Co. were struggling on 161/5.
The all-rounder also picked up three wickets in the first essay, followed by one in the second. He contributed with 22 runs during India’s epic chase and marked his name in history. Due to his spectacular performance in the Brisbane Test, the Chennai-lad was picked for the home series against England.
The Tamil Nadu cricketer proved his mettle in the recently concluded first Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. When the Virat Kohli-led side was reeling at 221/6, Washington played a stunning unbeaten knock of 85 runs and helped his side post 337 in their first innings. Though the southpaw went wicketless in the game which India lost by 227 runs, he left his impression with a composure knock.
Many fans on social media praised the aspiring cricketer for showing maturity while facing the likes of James Anderson and Jofra Archer. Some of the admirers were also left guessing the mystery behind his first name.
In the meantime, Washington’s father M Sundar, a former Ranji probable, has revealed the secret behind his son’s name. Mr Sundar named his son after a former army man PD Washington who helped him during the tough times.
“I am a Hindu and come from a very humble family. Two streets away from my home in Triplicane lived an ex-army man called PD Washington. Washington was extremely fond of cricket and would come to watch us play at the Marina ground. He took a liking for my game,” said Mr Sundar as quoted by the Twelfth Man Times.
Mr Sundar further explained that he didn’t have money to buy any books or pay his school fees, and PD Washington gave him all the financial support. Mr Sundar revealed that he planned to name his son Srinivasan, but during the same year in 1999, the army man took his last breath. Therefore, he decided to name his son Washington instead of Srinivasan.
“As per the Hindu custom, I whispered a God’s name, ‘Srinivasan,’ in his ear. But I decided to name him Washington in memory of the man who had done so much for me,” added Mr Sundar.
