Washington Sundar to Miss New Zealand T20I Series Due to Injury

Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the upcoming India vs New Zealand T20I series due to injury. The prolific all-rounder is yet to recover from the side strain he suffered during the first ODI against New Zealand. As a precautionary measure, the team management has decided to rest him for the five-match T20I series starting from January 21.

The Indian team is hopeful that Washington Sundar will recover from injury in time before the start of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. He is an important player for the team who provides a solid edge to India with both bat and ball. The team has called up Delhi batting all-rounder Ayush Badoni to fill his gap in ODIs, so it remains to be seen who will replace him in the T20I series.

Keeping in view the list of all-rounders currently available, India would not be too concerned about the absence of Washington Sundar in the T20I series against New Zealand. With the likes of Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel in the squad, India have a well-settled lineup that can take on the Kiwis in the upcoming T20I matches.

Apart from Washington Sundar, Tilak Varma is also unavailable for the first three T20Is against New Zealand. After undergoing surgery, he is currently recovering from a groin injury, which has forced him to sit out these games. It will be interesting to see how India shapes its middle order in his absence, as Tilak Varma is an important batter who provides stability in the middle overs.

India Squad for New Zealand T20Is

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Tilak Varma (unavailable for first three games), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (wk)