IND vs NZ: 3 players who could replace Washington Sundar in T20I series after his injury

Washington Sundar reportedly has been ruled out of the IND vs NZ T20I series, set to be played from January 21.

Indian Cricket Team will take on New Zealand Cricket Team in a five-match T20I series, which will follow the ongoing ODI series. The campaign will commence with the opening T20I game in Nagpur on January 21 and conclude on January 31 with the final clash in Thiruvananthapuram.

Ahead of the T20I series against Black Caps, India have suffered a big blow as Washington Sundar , as per reports, has been ruled out of the all five games. After sustaining an injury in the first ODI against the Black Caps, the all-rounder was deemed fit to take part in the remainder of the three-match series. Ayush Badoni was picked as a replacement in the squad.

With Sundar also set to miss the T20I series against the Black Caps, India will need a like-to-like replacement for him. Below we look at three players who can replace Washington Sundar in India vs New Zealand T20Is.

3 players who could replace Washington Sundar in Indian squad for IND vs NZ T20Is

1. Ayush Badoni

Ayush Badoni is the first player who can replace Washington Sundar in India’s squad for the T20I series against New Zealand. Badoni was added into the ODI squad following Sundar’s ouster due to injury.

Hence, he might be first-choice in the T20Is as well, a strategy BCCI have used in the past. The 26-year-old is an uncapped, but has proved his worth in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic cricket for Delhi.

2. Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is part of the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, wasn’t named in the T20I squad. After Sundar was ruled out of the ODI series, Reddy was added into the playing XI in the second game in Rajkot.

Therefore, he might also be an option for replace Sundar to the T20I squad. Across four T20Is so far, the batting all-rounder has piled up 90 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 180.0, including a half-century.

3. Harpreet Brar

Left-arm spinner Harpreet Brar impressed many with his performance in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025, finishing as the leading wicket-taker for Punjab with 15 scalps. Averaging 15.73 at an economy rate of 8.13, he was a stand-out bowler for the team.

Brar is also a handy batter in the lower-order; hence, he can fill Sundar’s shoes in the IND vs NZ series. Although the 30-year-old has not played any games for India so far, he has good experience in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL).

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