Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar will not be able to play the remaining matches of the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand due to a side strain injury. With the series being played in a short period of time, the team management is unlikely to take risks, especially when he is part of the T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
If Washington Sundar is out, he will become the second Indian player to be ruled out of the current ODI series. Earlier, Rishabh Pant was ruled out after being hit on the right side during the practice session at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. In-form Dhruv Jurel was included in the ODI squad after Pant’s injury.
Washington Sundar got injured during the first ODI against New Zealand
Washington Sundar suffered a side strain during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday, January 11. He was hit while trying to stop a ball from his own bowling and was visibly in discomfort soon afterwards.
The all-rounder had already bowled five overs and given away 27 runs before walking off the field midway through New Zealand’s innings. He was seen holding his side and back and did not return to the field, with Nitish Kumar Reddy replacing him as a substitute fielder.
Sundar has faced repeated injury problems in recent times. Recently, he recovered from a finger injury just before the Test against West Indies in Ahmedabad and still played a role in India’s innings and 140-run victory in that match.
Washington Sundar ruled out of ODI series against New Zealand
According to Sports Tak, Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the ODI series, BCCI is going to make an official announcement soon. Despite the discomfort, the all-rounder still came to bat at No. 8 and played a key role in India’s run chase, which ended in a four-wicket win.
Sundar stayed till the end and helped India complete the chase. He supported KL Rahul as the pair led the team to victory with six balls to spare. Sundar scored unbeaten 7 runs with KL Rahul (29*) in a partnership of 27 runs in 16 balls for the eighth wicket. India achieved the target of 301 runs in 49 overs.
The second ODI will be played in Rajkot on 14 January, followed by the final match in Indore on 18 January. After the ODI series, both the teams will play a five-match T20 series to prepare for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Shubman Gill’s update on Washington Sundar
India captain Shubman Gill confirmed after the match that Washington Sundar has suffered a side strain and will undergo a scan to assess the injury.
“Sundar has a strain in his arm and will go for a scan after the match,” India captain Shubman Gill said in the post-match presentation.
KL Rahul said that he was not aware of the severity of Sundar’s injury when he was batting. Rahul mentioned that he was only aware of a few inconveniences at the start of the game and was happy that he still managed to take India to the end.
“I didn’t know he couldn’t run. I knew he had some discomfort in the first innings, but I didn’t know the extent of it. He was hitting the ball very well,” he told the host broadcaster.
Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin gives big warning to Gautam Gambhir after ignoring Arshdeep Singh in 1st ODI vs New Zealand
