Washington Sundar Starts Batting At BCCI CoE, Call On T20 WC Participation Will Be Taken When...

Spin-bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar is part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, but he is not playing in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand due to an injury. Sundar, who injured himself while bowling in the first ODI against the Black Caps in Vadodara on January 11, has started batting at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE). According to a report in the Times of India on Wednesday (January 28), Sundar has resumed batting in the nets as part of his rehabilitation.

As per the available information, 26-year-old Sundar, who has 51 wickets to his credit in 58 T20I matches played so far, “batted for around 30 minutes, though tenderness around the rib area continues to persist.”

Sundar is unlikely to be fit for India’s T20

World Cup 2026 opener against the United States of America in Mumbai on February 7, but the Indian team management is likely to wait for him to get fit rather than announcing a replacement player for him at this stage.

It has been reported that India captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir are keen to have an off-spinner in the T20 World Cup 2026 squad for the match-ups against the left-handed batters. And it was one of the reasons why Ravi Bishnoi, who last played for India on February 2, 2025, was included as Sundar’s replacement for the T20I series against New Zealand.

“There are still over 15 days for India’s match vs Pakistan in the World Cup. Sundar is very much in the mix and the plans as of now, and a call will only be taken when there is no possibility of return. He was picked for the matchups vs left-handers, and that is why Ravi Bishnoi has been tried. There aren’t many options of off-spinners and bowling all-rounders available at the moment,” a source tracking developments was quoted as saying by TOI.

India’s squad for T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK)