Washington Sundar ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026? Massive update arrives on India all-rounder
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Washington Sundar was ruled out of the India vs New Zealand ODI and T20I series due to a rib injury.
Washington Sundar‘s name featured in India squad when the team for the T20I series against New Zealand and T20 World Cup 2026 was announced. Unfortunately, the bowling all-rounder sustained a rib injury in the first ODI against the Black Caps in Vadodara on January 11.
Sundar could only bowl five overs before facing issues in his back. As a result, he left the field in the first innings and didn’t return to bowl later. He came out to bat in the second innings but struggled to run.
However, the Indian all-rounder was ruled out of the remainder of the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand due to a rib injury. While Ayush Badoni was picked as his replacement in the ODI squad, Ravi Bishnoi filled his vacancy in the T20I series.
Washington Sundar starts batting at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence- Reports
Notably, Sundar is a crucial spin all-rounder for India during T20 World Cup 2026. He has been undergoing recovery for his rib injury at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) for the last few weeks. As per a latest report by the Times of India, Sundar has started batting at the BCCI facility.
The report added that Sundar’s batting session lasted for around 30 minutes but he continues to experience pain around the rib region. Moreover, the 26-year-old has suffered a mild fracture in addition to the side strain. While the initial scans revealed an internal oblique muscle tear, the follow-ups confirmed a mild fracture.
Additionally, the all-rounder is unlikely to recover ahead of India’s opening game of T20 World Cup against USA on February 7 and will need a magical recovery to be fit ahead of the match.
However, the Men-in-Blue will wait for his comeback till the crucial game against Pakistan on February 15 and have two weeks for his rehabilitation. A thorough assessment will be done over Sundar’s fitness in the first week of February, according to the protocol of Right to Play (RTP).
A source informed the national daily that Sundar has not been ruled out of the T20I World Cup squad as of now.
“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,” a source was quoted as saying by TOI.
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,” he further added.
How many matches will take place during T20I series between India and New Zealand?
Five T20Is will be played between India and New Zealand.
What injury is Washington Sundar recovering from?
Washington Sundar is recovering from a rib injury.
Who replaced Washington Sundar in India’s squad for the T20I series against New Zealand?
Ravi Bishnoi replaced India’s squad for the T20I series against New Zealand.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.