"He has been my inspiration when I was young" - Sai Sudharsan's massive claim on Indian all-rounder ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Indian batter Sai Sudharsan recently revealed that he has drawn inspiration from spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar. The two will share the dressing room in the upcoming five-match Test series between India and England.

Sudharsan and Sundar play for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket. They also plied their trade for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

In a video shared by the BCCI on social media, here's what Sudharsan said about Sundar (Team India's Instagram account):

"He's been my inspiration since I was young. I've played a few games against him, so it's always special. To be honest, we've looked up to him a lot. I've practiced once-twice (against Sundar) and the way he went up and the way he played for the country, it was really quick. So, I had that in my mind. It was great to see him. A few years of IPL, he did well in IPL, then he played for the country."

He added:

"So, it was a great motivator for me from Chennai, from knowing him from young, playing with him, and it's kind of an inspiration where it made me feel that I also want to do the same way. He has been my inspiration when I was young."

Sai Sudharsan earned his maiden Test call-up for India's tour of England. The five-match Test series kicks off at Headingley, Leeds, on Friday, June 20.

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"I am very happy for him" - Washington Sundar on Sai Sudharsan making it to India's Test team for England tour

In the same video, Washington Sundar spoke about how Sai Sudharsan has shown tremendous growth as a cricketer over the last few years. He added that the southpaw has inspired several aspiring cricketers in Chennai with his performances.

Sundar said:

"A lot of my friends and my coaches as well have constantly spoken about his (Sai Sudharsan's) growth, with his cricketing career. And he's always grown, especially in the last three, four years and he's only managed to get better every year."

"In that case, I think every time I've watched him on TV, there was a lot to take away from him and his skill sets. And the kind of work ethic that he's got, has definitely inspired a lot of kids, especially in Chennai, and I'm sure he's going to continue to inspire so many more around the world," he added.

Sai Sudharsan was last seen in action during IPL 2025. The left-handed batter became the youngest player to score over 700 runs in a single edition. The 23-year-old was the leading run-getter in the edition, chalking up 759 runs across 15 innings at an average of 54.21.