Star Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar, who was ruled out of the ongoing three-match ODI series against New Zealand on Monday, January 12, will now miss the five-match T20I series as well against the Black Caps due to a side strain. The 26-year-old cricketer from Tamil Nadu suffered an injury while bowling in the first ODI between India and New Zealand at BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. But despite that he came out to bat at No. 8 for the Shubman Gill-led side in the 301-run chase and remained unbeaten on 7 runs from 7 balls.
According to a report in news agency PTI, where they quoted a BCCI source, Sundar won’t be able to recover in time for the five-match T20 series, which is starting on January 21 in Nagpur.
“Washington Sundar
has been ruled out from the T20I series vs New Zealand due to side strain,” a BCCI official told PTI on Wednesday.
Washington’s injury puts a question mark over his participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to start on February 7.
Sundar, who has played 58 T20Is for India so far, was included in India’s 15-member T20 World Cup 2026 squad on December 20, 2025.
Sundar is the second T20 World Cup-bound player who will miss the T20I series against New Zealand. Last week, No. 3 batter Tilak Varma was ruled out of the first three T20Is against the Kiwis due to a groin injury that required surgery.
Sundar was replaced by Ayush Badoni in the India squad for the second and third ODIs on Monday, and it will be interesting to see who comes in his place for the T20I series against the Mitchell Santner-led side.
India have three spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy – in their T20I squad for the New Zealand series as well as the T20 World Cup. So the team management won’t be too worried about his absence, as he was never going to start ahead of Kuldeep, Axar and Varun, but as his replacement as a spin-bowling all-rounder, Bengal’s Shahbaz Ahmed could once again earn an India call-up.
31-year-old Shahbaz, who has played three ODIs and two T20Is for Team India so far, was called in as a replacement for Axar Patel when he was ruled out of the T20I series against South Africa last month.
