India all-rounder Washington Sundar was initially ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand after an injury in the first ODI.
Cricket can be a cruel sport. Well, there would be no one better than Washington Sundar to understand these lines. The all-rounder from Tamil Nadu has been ruled out of the five-match T20I series against New Zealand following the rib injury he sustained in the first ODI against New Zealand.
Washington Sundar sustained the injury while attempting for a catch off his own bowling in the opening ODI clash against the Kiwis in Vadodara. Post the initial reports, the 26-year-old all-rounder was ruled out of the remainder of the ODI series.
It has now come to light that the nature of the injury would not allow Washington Sundar to recover in time for the T20I series against New Zealand, which commences on January 21. As much as the all-rounder will be shattered, the Indian team will have to find an able replacement for the same role for the five-match series.
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The timing of this injury for Washington Sundar could not have been worse. With the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, the pressure on the team management will only increase as days pass by. That being said, there are chances that Nitish Kumar Reddy might earn a place in the T20I squad against New Zealand.
However, the five-match series against New Zealand would be the smaller problem. With the T20 World Cup 2026 to be played in India and Sri Lanka, Washington Sundar could have been of extreme important to this Indian side, due to his ability with both bat and ball.
The 26-year-old has played a vital role in a number of games for India, and was set to be one of their most important players in the mega-event. Washington gets a lot of drift on the ball, and is also capable of bowling in the powerplay – which not a lot of spinners can do.
To add to that, he can score runs at a strike-rate of almost 135, and also has a fifty under his name in the shortest format of the game. His aggression has been on display in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well, with the Gujarat Titans (GT) looking for a new role in the top four.
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