Beckenham [UK], June 16 (ANI): Ahead of the first Test against England at Leeds, India's rising batting star Sai Sudharsan spoke on how fellow Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar has been an inspiration for him, motivating him to rise up the ranks and wear the Indian colours quickly.

The first Test against England at Leeds from June 20 onwards could kickstart the Test career of a 23-year-old Sudharsan, who has represented India in three ODIs and a T20I so far, getting two ODI half-centuries in South Africa. Recently, he won the Orange Cap for most runs and the 'Emerging Player' award during the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Gujarat Titans (GT), scoring 759 runs in 16 innings, with a century and six half-centuries.

Sudharsan is Sundar's junior in domestic cricket, with the all-rounder having made his first-class debut at the age of 17 back in 2016. Sudharsan's debut came at the age of 21, six years later. Before becoming an IPL star, Sudharsan's grind came in Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), where he sits at number 10 among top run-getters, with 1,303 runs in 30 innings at an average of 56.65, a century and 13 fifties.

Speaking about looking up to Sundar, who made his international debut as a teen in 2017 and Test debut in 2021 during the legendary Brisbane Test against Australia, Sudharsan said that the 25-year-old's quick rise served as an 'inspiration' and 'motivator' for him.

'He has been my inspiration since I was young. I have played a few games against him, so it is always special. To be honest, we have looked up to him a lot. I have practised once or twice (against Sundar), the way he went up and the way he played for the country, it was really quick, so I had that in my mind. He did well in the IPL, and then he played for the country. So it was a great motivator for me from Chennai. Knowing him since I was young, playing with him, it is kind of inspiring. It made me feel I want to do things the same way,' said Sudharsan in a video posted on BCCI's official website.

https://x.com/BCCI/status/1934460930248626257

Sundar is also extremely proud of the youngster's growth over the years, saying that he has inspired a lot of kids in Chennai already.

'I have watched him on TV. There is a lot to take away from him, his skillset and work ethic he has got. He has inspired a lot of kids in Chennai, and I hope he will continue inspiring kids all over the world,' said Sundar.

'He has told me about that quite a few times. A lot of my friends and coaches, as well, have spoken about his growth. He has only grown in the last three or four years and has got better with every year,' he concluded.

India tour of England will take place from June to August 2025, with matches to be played at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London).

A new era beckons for India in the Test format as the modern-day giants gear up for their first assignment without the prized batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill, India's youngest Test captain, has taken the baton from Rohit to guide the nation to success and challenge for the World Test Championship mace.

India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav. (ANI)