Washington Sundar on Pressure: "Put Your Best Energy Out, Let Instincts Come Through"

Speaking on GT's tense last-ball win in their previous game ahead of their clash against Lucknow Super Giants, Sundar highlighted how focusing on the right energy and allowing instincts to take over has shaped his performances, offering insight into the mindset that drives him in crunch moments.

Sundar himself played a pivotal role in the win, contributing a valuable half-century, and the all-rounder spoke about his approach with the bat this season, focusing more on mindset than technical changes.

"Honestly, it's just about going out there and putting your best energy out and just let your instincts come through. And there's not a lot of things that I honestly worked on, especially mentally. Just wanted to go there and be in the right energy and just express myself," he said ahead of the LSG vs GT clash at the Ekana Cricket Stadium here on Sunday.

Gujarat edged out Delhi in a dramatic finish that went down to the final ball, with their bowlers holding firm under immense pressure. Sundar admitted the narrow margin left plenty to think about, even as the team took confidence from how they handled crunch situations.

"There were a lot of things that were running on all of our minds in terms of how close the game went. And obviously, could have executed things a little better here and there. But to be honest, bowlers bowled really well, especially under pressure. And Prasidh in particular, bowling that final over with five fielders inside the circle, defending 12, it's always going to be a lot challenging.

"But obviously, skill is never a question over here. It's all about our decision-making, what's the choice of ball and how will we execute it. And I think we did that pretty well last game," he noted.

While such wins can often provide momentum, Sundar was measured in his assessment of its impact on the campaign, underlining the importance of consistency in a long tournament.

"I can't really think like that because it's a long tournament. One doesn't mean that if you win one, you're going to win all of the games that are going to come after that. Or for that matter, if you're going to lose one, the morale is extremely low. It doesn't always work like that. We got to do the things that is required of us to be able to win games.

"And eventually, we always play as a team. And that's always been a strength in terms of GT. So, just go out there, do the things that we're supposed to do. Do good things. Do right things over a period of time and obviously, results will come good," Sundar stated.

- IANS