SL vs IND 2024: Three key reasons why Washington Sundar can give Sri Lankan batters a run for their money

SL vs IND 2024: Washington Sundar who suffered from several injuries in recent years finally made a terrific comeback in the recently-concluded T20I series against Zimbabwe. He made use of the overseas tour to great effect and made a real case for himself to solidify his spot in Team India's T20I XI.

Impressed by his performances, the Indian think-tank named him in the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka. With the Pallekele pitch expected to favour the spinners, Washington Sundar is well poised to excel and make significant contributions.

Apart from his bowling, he could be handy with the bat as well. While he may not boast impressive statistics, he has hit one half-century in T20Is. Let's take a glimpse at three strong reasons why Washington Sundar is poised to shine as a spinner in Sri Lanka T20Is.

Three Reasons Why Washington Sundar Can Trouble Sri Lanka Batters

1. Won Man of the Series award in Zimbabwe T20Is: Washington Sundar comes into the Sri Lanka T20I series riding high on confidence as he recently won the Man of the Series award for his stellar bowling performance in Zimbabwe T20Is.

He made a stellar comeback from injury, wherein he accounted for 8 dismissals and finished the series as the joint highest wicket-taker. This performance must have boosted his confidence and he will be curious to carry this form into the series against Sri Lanka. He is expected to deliver match-winning performances, which makes him one of the players to watch out for in the series.

2. Proven success against Sri Lanka: The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer has a pretty good track record against Sri Lanka on their home turf. In the current T20I squad, he has taken the most wickets as a spinner against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka, with a total of 8 wickets in five games.

This experience and success in similar conditions surely give him a cutting edge. He knows the tricks and trade of how to exploit the weaknesses of the Sri Lankan batters and will be looking to replicate his past successes.

3. Economical and Effective in Sri Lanka: The Pallekele pitch tends to slow down in the latter stages of the game and the playing conditions just play right into Sundar's strengths who is quite an economical bowler.

He is known for his potential to maintain a tight line and length, coupled with subtle variations in pace, makes it tough for batters to score freely. It is worth noting that he has maintained an impressive economy rate of 5.70 against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.