Washington Sundar Memes Flood Internet As All-Rounder's Inclusion Sees Rishabh Pant Benched
Washington Sundar was selected at No. 5 for India in the first ODI against South Africa, sparking reactions on social media.
India's spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar has really emerged as an all-format player, especially since Gautam Gambhir's arrival as the team's head coach. There seems to be a concentrated effort to develop him as a key player in the Indian team, hence the long rope. With KL Rahul being the designated wicket-keeper for India in the ODI format, Pant's inclusion in the team wasn't a certainty. But many expected him to be picked for the No. 5 role. However, seeing Sundar being slotted for the No. 5 spot in India's playing XI for the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, fans couldn't hold back from unleashing memes on social media.
With primary skipper Shubman Gill and vice-captain Shreyas Iyer missing from the team, the situation paved the way for India to add a few fresh faces to the team. Skipper for the series, KL Rahul, confirmed the addition of Ruturaj Gaikwad in the team while Sundar was also named for a middle-order role.
"The preparation has been good, the energy is there with a lot of players coming back, we want to enjoy ourselves in the middle. That's what the chat has been, we need to use every opportunity we get in the ODI team, this is a great chance to challenge our skills against a very good team. Three spinners and three quicks for us today," he said after losing the toss.
Here's how fans reacted to Sundar's inclusion in the team:
Keeping track of Washington Sundar's batting positions: pic.twitter.com/sa2TBdJlIC
— Pratyush Sinha (@prat1204) November 30, 2025
Washington Sundar's dad to Gambhir pic.twitter.com/EOT9v1p01e
— Tingus Pingis (@bent_copper) November 30, 2025
Axar experiment at number 5 over.
— Cricket Lover // ICT Fan Account (@CricCrazyV) November 30, 2025
Washington Sundar is India's new number 5 for now.
Axar did pretty well, Helping India to win the Champions Trophy but the current head coach prefers constant changes in the team and the batting order.
So you're saying Washington Sundar will bat above KL Rahul at No.5??? LMAO https://t.co/XFwZmrf0ei
— Jyotirmay Das (@dasjy0tirmay) November 30, 2025
South Africa couldn't have their skipper Temba Bavuma ready for the game. Hence, stand-in skipper Aiden Markram arrived at the toss.
He said: "Spent a couple of evenings, dew at night time and it'll be slightly easier to bat at night. Different personnel, the dressing room is at a good place with a lot of energy and fun. It's an important series, for the 2027 World Cup, still a bit of time, but we're up against one of the best teams in the world. Just one spinner in Subrayen, I will bowl a bit - Temba and Maharaj have been rested, four seamers for us today."
India's Playing XI for 1st ODI vs South Africa:Â Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team