Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar received the ‘Impact Player of the Series’ medal following India’s 2-1 victory in the T20I series in Australia.
In a behind-the-scenes video titled ‘Dressing Room BTS’
posted by the BCCI on Sunday, Sundar was all smiles as team operations manager Rahil Khaja presented him with the award.
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“Coming over here and getting an opportunity to play in Australia is amazing, and to have contributed to the team’s victory makes me definitely happy,” said Sundar, 26, after receiving the medal.
Sundar’s performances throughout the series highlighted his value as a utility player in India’s T20I setup.
In the third T20I in Hobart, although he was not used as a bowler, Sundar was promoted up the batting order and top-scored with a match-winning 49 off 23 balls, including four sixes and three boundaries. His efforts guided India to a five-wicket win, levelling the series 1-1.
In the fourth game, he was held back with the ball until the death overs but managed to take three wickets in five deliveries across two overs, sparking an Australian collapse that secured India’s 48-run victory.
This win helped Suryakumar Yadav’s side clinch the series 2-1 after the fifth match was washed out at the Gabba on Saturday.
Sundar also acknowledged the contribution of the team’s COO, Khaja.
“It’s such a great feeling to get this medal from him. We know the kind of work he (Khaja) puts in every single day to make a lot of our jobs very easy,” he said.
An emotional Khaja shared his joy: “I mean, the first time in my life… I’m just like, looking at this. Actually, we’ve done this.”
Sundar’s overall T20I record from 57 matches is impressive, boasting a bowling average of just over 22 with an economy under seven, and a batting strike rate exceeding 134.
As an all-format player, he is also valuable in Tests, having taken 35 wickets from 15 matches with three four-wicket hauls and one five-wicket haul. He also has one century and five fifties, averaging 44.76.
The ‘Impact Player of the Series’ is a relatively new honour introduced by the BCCI to recognise individuals who make decisive contributions in a bilateral series.
In the preceding ODI series against Australia in October, Indian stalwart Rohit Sharma received the same award. Rohit, potentially playing his last ODI series on Australian soil, finished as the top run-scorer with 202 runs in three matches, including an unbeaten century in the final ODI. His stellar performance earned him both the Player of the Match and Player of the Series awards.
(With inputs from Agencies)
