India all-rounder Washington Sundar suffered an injury scare during the IND vs NZ 1st ODI today (January 11). Sundar could bowl only five overs in the first innings and had to walk back to the dugout in the 20th over with some concerns.
While he did not come out anymore during the Kiwi innings getting replaced by substitute fielder Nitish Kumar Reddy, during India’s chase, Sundar walked out to bat late at No.8 only when needed and looked to be struggling in his run-a-ball seven stay in the middle.
Confirming the development after the match, India skipper Shubman Gill revealed the Washington Sundar Injury Update – that the India all-rounder had suffered a side strain and will now need to go for scans to understand the extent of the injury.
Gill said in the post-match presentation ceremony, “He (Washington) will be going for a scan, so we’ll know more once that’s done.”
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Speaking about the IND vs NZ 1st ODI, the Men in Blue started the new year on a winning note, propelled by former skipper and batting stalwart Virat Kohli’s heroics. Chasing a target of 301, India openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill made a steady start but Rohit failed to get a big score and departed for 26. Shubman Gill stayed to complete his fifty and formed a crucial 118-run stand with Virat Kohli.
After Gill’s dismissal, Kohli took India forward alongside Shreyas Iyer and were cruising at one point. However, India had a brief relapse at the death after Kohli (93) and Iyer (49) narrowly missed out on their respective ton and fifty and were dismissed in quick succession. Nevertheless, Kohli’s knock had built the platform for a relatively easy finish and KL Rahul (29 off 21) took over the onus perfectly to guide the side home, coupled with assistance from Harshit Rana (29 off 23) and Washington Sundar (7 off 7).
Earlier, the Kiwis managed to breach the 300-run mark, courtesy of a fiery knock by Daryl Mitchell (84 off 71) and fifties from openers Devon Conway (56 off 67) and Henry Nicholls (62 off 69).
Given the recent injury, reports claim that Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remainder of the IND vs NZ series, which includes the remaining two ODIs and the five T20Is that follow. Notably, the short-format games were a final dress rehearsal for India before they headed into the T20 World Cup 2026 next for their title defence.
However, the latest Washington Sundar Injury Update has now put a cloud of doubt over his participation in the ICC event. Sundar is a key cog in the India setup, adding balance apart from his versatility and in case he misses out, it will be a massive headache for India before the mega-event.
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