Has Washington Sundar been ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026? Know here

Sundar suffered a side strain during the ODI series against New Zealand.

As India prepare for their first outing in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 against the USA on February 7 in Mumbai, the suspense over whether all-rounder Washington Sundar will play in the tournament continues.

India have been placed in Group A of the T20 World Cup alongside the likes of Namibia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the USA.

Sundar has established himself as a key member of the team’s T20I setup, and he is frequently selected for the squad. He also has much experience, having played 58 T20Is to date, hitting 254 runs and taking 51 wickets.

Sundar was named in India’s 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup by the BCCI selection committee and was part of the Men in Blue side that faced New Zealand in the three-match ODI series. However, Sundar suffered a side strain in the first ODI in January and was ruled out of the remaining two matches.

Furthermore, keeping the T20 World Cup in mind, Sundar was not included in the five-match T20I series against the Kiwis and was instead sent to the BCCI Center of Excellence (BCCI CoE) for the rehab process.

Will Washington Sundar play for India in the T20 World Cup?

Washington Sundar remains at the BCCI CoE in Bengaluru, where he is working towards full fitness and has yet to get his fitness clearance from the medical team. The national selection committee is waiting for his availability and is not likely to look for a replacement anytime soon.

According to Cricbuzz, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and his team are not in a hurry to replace Washington Sundar. Sundar is firmly in the team management’s plans for the forthcoming T20 mega event, and they are prepared to wait for his rehabilitation.

The report further stated that the final decision on Sundar will depend on the advice of the trainers and physios of CoE. It also suggested that Sundar will need some more time to get back to fitness.

Even India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about an update on Washington Sundar’s fitness and if any replacements would be sought; he said that the Indian team management is ready to wait for the Tamil Nadu all-rounder to gain full fitness.

“Tilak Varma got a break; he didn’t play the New Zealand series. He looked like a different player when he came back. We spoke to Sundar; he is almost there. We are willing to be patient with him,” Suryakumar stated during a press conference on captains’ day.

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