Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand due to injury. The five-match series will start on January 21 in Nagpur.
Sundar picked up a side strain during the first ODI against New Zealand. The match was played at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on January 11. He felt sharp pain in his lower rib area while bowling. After the match, he went through scans and also met a specialist in person.
Following the medical check-up, Washington Sundar was diagnosed with a side strain. The medical team advised him to take complete rest for a few days. After that, he will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for further treatment and rehabilitation. Because of this injury, he will not be available for the T20I series.
Injury setback for Washington Sundar and Tilak Varma
In Sundar’s absence, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi has been added to the T20I squad. Bishnoi has impressed in recent white-ball matches and will now get another chance to prove himself.
India have also made another change to the squad. Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has been included for the first three T20Is. He replaces Tilak Varma, who is also sidelined due to injury.
Tilak is currently under the care of the BCCI medical team. The 23-year-old is yet to resume physical training. His groin wound has not fully healed. The board has said that more updates will be shared once Tilak returns to skill-based activities.
Tilak’s absence is a big blow for India. He has become an important part of the T20 team. He played a match-winning knock in the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakistan.
India will now look to manage injuries carefully. With the T20 World Cup coming up, the team will hope to build momentum and confidence against New Zealand.
India’s updated T20I squad against New Zealand
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi
