Despite Washington Sundar being unavailable, Team India all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed has broken his silence on being ruled out of the T20 series against New Zealand. Shahbaz said that he and Sundar are different types of players and he has focused on his performance rather than selection.
India have named Bishnoi as Sundar’s replacement for the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday, January 21. Sundar was ruled out after suffering a rib injury during the first ODI of the series. The availability of the off-spinner for the T20 World Cup 2026 remains uncertain.
Washington Sundar is a different kind of player – Shahbaz Ahmed on missing New Zealand T20I
Shahbaz Ahmed, in a conversation with RevSportz, said that Washington Sundar is a different kind of player and offers a different skill set. Shahbaz said that staying fit and performing well remain his priorities and opportunities will come when the team needs replacements.
“Washington is a different kind of player and my skill set is different. My focus is only on my performance. If I stay fit and perform well, I am confident I will get a chance. Whenever a replacement is needed, if I am performing, I will get a chance,” Shahbaz said.
Haven’t played cricket continuously for last few months – Shahbaz Ahmed
Shahbaz Ahmed said that injuries have hampered his career in the last few months. He said he had to miss a large part of the season due to a shoulder injury and a sports hernia. Shahbaz said the limited playing time makes it difficult to remain in the selectors’ focus.
Shahbaz said, “Due to injuries I have not played cricket continuously for the last few months. I had a shoulder injury and sports hernia, due to which I missed a lot of action. I played only half the domestic season for Bengal.”
“When you play less cricket, the selectors don’t focus much on you because your performances are not consistent. So, my main focus now is to perform well in the remaining season. My aim is to win matches for my team. I don’t set targets like getting a call-up in India. My focus is just to do well in whatever tournament I play.”
Shahbaz Ahmed impressed in all domestic formats after returning from injury
Shahbaz Ahmed has gained good experience in domestic cricket and IPL. After missing most of the previous season due to a dislocated shoulder and a sports hernia, he returned in good form.
Shahbaz played four matches in the Ranji Trophy, scoring 300 runs at an average of 60. He also made a strong impact with the ball and took 22 wickets. He continued this form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as well.
In the 50-over tournament, he scored 390 runs in six innings at an average of 130 and a strike rate of 103.78, which included three half-centuries and one century. The left arm spinner also took six wickets.
Notably, he was a part of India’s previous T20I series against South Africa as a replacement for Axar Patel. However, the Bengal all-rounder was not considered for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.
Also read: Discussion on Shivam Dubey’s ODI comeback, Nitish Kumar Reddy is facing severe criticism
