The highly anticipated five-match Test series between India and England is about to get underway on June 20 at Leeds. The Indian team is equipped with a proportional blend of youth and experience and will be led by a new captain in the form of Shubman Gill. Ahead of the first Test, the Indian spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar offered words of inspiration to his Tamil Nadu teammate Sai Sudharsan, who has been drafted in this tour to represent India in whites for the first time. 

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Washi's praise for Sudharsan goes viral

During a close interaction, Sundar was impressed to see how Sudharsan advanced in his cricketing career and improved his game over the years. The 25-year-old admitted that he has only gotten better in the last three to four years and that trend is likely to continue in the years to come. 

Sudharsan, in response, thanked Washi for his compliment and revealed that he has always considered him as an idol from a very young age and also played a fair amount of cricket with him during his foundational years. 

Washington Sundar said, "Sai Sudharsan has only gotten better in the last 3-4 years. I'm very happy for him".

Sudharsan said, "I've played with Washi from a very young age, he's one of my inspirations". ❤️

Washington Sundar said, "Sai Sudharsan has only gotten better in the last 3-4 years. I'm very happy for him".

Sudharsan said, "I've played with Washi from a very young age, he's one of my inspirations". ❤️ pic.twitter.com/4QU9b0Ff4v

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) June 16, 2025

Both Sundar and Sudharsan have represented their home state, Tamil Nadu, in a number of first-class and List-A games and have shared the dressing room on several instances. The duo knows their game from in and out and have been backing each other ever since they started playing the game. The two prolific players have a deep bond of friendship between them, and are known to often complement each other to uplift their morale. 

Washington is one of the three bowling all-rounders selected for this tour, along with Ravi Jadeja and Nitish Reddy. With attributes a lot similar to Ravi Ashwin, Washington can come good with the bat and the ball, just like his predecessor, and can come across as someone who could fill the shoes of Ashwin. On the flipside, the retirement of Rohit Sharma has left a void for India at the top of the order. That void can now be filled as Sudharsan will have an opportunity to open the innings alongside Jaiswal for the first time in his Test career.