Ahmedabad:Washington Sundar and Sai Sudharsan have been mighty impressive as performers, showing no signs of stopping. Sundar made his presence felt in India’s away Test series against England, stepping up as a match-winner. Sudharsan emerged as a clinical performer during India A’s recent four-day matches against Australia A. The 23-year-old especially stood out during India A’s chase in the second match, scoring a ton as the hosts chased down a mammoth target of 412. One of the most significant reasons behind their success has been their mental mastery, resulting in dominance over the opposition and an ability to stay calm irrespective of circumstances.While many have wondered about the reason behind Sundar and Sudharsan’s clarity of thought, the secret behind the duo acing the mental game has been an innovative framework designed by mental conditioning coach Raymun Roy. The programme involves an amalgamation of yogic practices with modern neuroscience along with cricket analysis. Sundar has been working with Roy for nearly two years while Sudharsan’s association with the mental conditioning coach began after the IPL 2023 final.“No one knows that Sai and Sundar have been training with me. It’s like a secret being executed behind the scenes,” Roy told TimesofIndia.com.The mental conditioning coach initially started off as a cricketer but developed an interest in yoga after suffering an injury.
Washington Sundar with Raymun Roy (Special Arrangement)
“A trip to Sivananda Yoga Ashram in Kerala completely changed my life. One day, a question crossed my mind over mixing yoga and cricket together, and things changed from then on,” said Roy.“Yoga sessions include Vipassana, Pranayama and something known as quantum breathwork, which helps the cricketers stay calm and react better. You ultimately operate in the present and let go rather than thinking about the result. “Quantum breathwork takes place throughout the day. You can do it in between balls or whenever you need to enter the zone. Neuroscience techniques include hypnotherapy where we can tap into our brain and enter the subconscious within just five minutes, visualisation, goal-setting as well as reactive cognitive training. These methods enable the cricketer to play the match in their mind, taking away anxiety.
Raymun Roy (Special Arrangement)
“I keep on adding new things like solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT). It’s like a gym for the brain. Finally, cricket analysis includes finetuning the game plan based on the opposition and devising means to maximise effectiveness,” he added.Roy’s approach enables players to perform at a much higher level because of increased focus. The mental conditioning coach has worked with hundreds of Indian players like Manan Vohra and many more around the world.“I don’t make any efforts to market myself. It’s all been through word of mouth. Initially, it was difficult to convince cricketers but they soon realised the benefits. Sai approached me, especially expressing an interest in breathwork, visualisation and meditation. I make him practice daily which has made the difference. At the same time, he has been committed, finding a way to be available irrespective of other responsibilities. We have done sessions at 12 AM as well during IPL. Sai is always very well prepared. My role is to lead him to that deep, trance-like state with a focus on watching the breath,” said Roy.
Mmental conditioning coach Raymun Roy (Special Arrangement)
“I have taught him certain breathing techniques which he follows before matches. Sai brings the ball in front of his eyes and then changes the position to activate his neuro system. You must have heard commentators say that if someone is batting for an hour, he will watch the cricket ball like a football. “Similarly, if you train your mind, activate your prefrontal cortex, and activate your brain before going out to bat, you will see the ball even more clearly with enhanced calmness due to the breathing techniques. Sai stays locked in from the first ball and the results are visible from the massive run tally. He is the first one to attempt whatever I bring to the table because of deep trust,” added the mental conditioning coach.
Bengaluru: Cricketer Sai Sudharsan in attendance during the second day of the Duleep Trophy 2025 first semifinal cricket match between South Zone and North Zone, at BCCI Centre of Excellence ground, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak) (PTI09_05_2025_000228A)
“Roy’s modules have made a great difference. Breathwork has helped me a lot on the field to stay in the present and react. If you control your breath, you gain control over a lot of things,” said Sudharsan, discussing the impact of his coach’s techniques. Interestingly, Roy’s association with Sundar began in December 2023 during India’s tour of South Africa, following an interaction with Sai.“Sundar heard from Sai about the breathing and meditation techniques and wanted to learn more. Sundar was very clear that he would try 10 sessions but wouldn’t progress further if he didn’t enjoy them. However, he was definitely satisfied and asked me to travel with him during IPL 2024. We undergo breathing and meditation sessions, and Sundar has told me that he feels very aware, conscious and present,” said the mental conditioning coach.Roy had contemplated becoming a full-fledged yoga teacher at one point, bidding farewell to cricket. “However, cricket didn’t leave me. I was freelancing for six months as a cricket analyst but the workload seemed immense, resulting in the desire to focus fully on yoga. However, as destiny would have it, I have become fully involved in the game with numerous clients from the guy who used to sit with a laptop in Tiruchirappalli,” he stated.
