India’s current tour of Zimbabwe has been billed as a look at the team’s future in T20 cricket, now that veteran star players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja have retired. While finding another Rohit or Kohli is an unlikely assignment given the magnitude of their achievements, there are no issues in finding top-order batters to fill the voids they have created.

However, finding a spin-bowling all-rounder as consistent with both bat and ball as Jadeja is always a plus. While India already has a player of that type in Axar Patel, Washington Sundar is regarded as a strong possibility to replace Jadeja in that position. Sundar kept India in contention with the bat despite a surprising defeat in the first T20I, and he was named player of the match in the third with figures of 3/15.

I need to do well where I am good at and what I am capable of, especially with my preparation. I need to give my 100 percent every single day. That’s something that I have not compromised on, Sundar said when asked whether he is ready to seal the spot in the absence of Ravindra Jadeja.

Sundar expressed that he likes to stay focused on his preparations. It keeps me in the present and obviously, I am very confident as well about his skills. It’s a great opportunity for me to play for India, and I am blessed with it. I need to keep my job consistently, keep preparing and keep getting better. That way everything will be taken care of, he added.