Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill‘s decision to leave out Washington Sundar from the playing XI in the opening match of IPL 2025 has sparked widespread discussion among cricket enthusiasts and even caught the attention of Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
The controversy began when a cricket fan took to the social media platform X to express their confusion over Sundar’s exclusion, stating, “How Sundar sneaks into the best 15 of India but doesn’t get a place in any IPL XI when 10 teams exist is a mystery.” This sentiment resonated with Pichai, who responded, “I have been wondering this too.” The fan, seizing the moment, cheekily asked Pichai for a job at Google.
Washington Sundar, a versatile all-rounder, has had a varied IPL career, playing 60 matches across teams including the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and currently, Gujarat Titans. Last season, Sundar’s performance was limited to two matches for SRH, where he managed to take just one wicket while conceding 73 runs.
Despite his recent IPL struggles, Sundar’s overall T20 record is impressive, with 149 matches played, 113 wickets taken at an average of 28.43, an economy rate of 6.98, and a strike rate of 24.4. These statistics highlight his potential and raise questions about his consistent omission from IPL lineups.
While Sundar watched from the sidelines, Gujarat Titans faced an 11-run defeat against Punjab Kings in their IPL 2025 opener. Punjab Kings posted a formidable total of 243-5, thanks to an unbeaten 97 off 42 balls by Shreyas Iyer and a quickfire 44 not out from 16 deliveries by Shashank Singh. In response, Gujarat Titans’ chase was led by Sai Sudarsan‘s 74 and Jos Buttler‘s 54, but they ultimately fell short of the target.
The debate over Sundar’s exclusion continues, with fans and experts alike pondering whether his skills are being underutilized in the IPL, especially when his performances for the Indian national team have been noteworthy.