India all-rounder Washington Sundar will miss the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand as he continues his recovery from a rib injury sustained earlier this month.
Sources told IANS on Thursday that Sundar is yet to regain full fitness after picking up the injury during the first ODI in Vadodara.
The T20I series, scheduled to begin on January 21 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, is a key part of India’s preparations for the T20 World Cup, which starts on February 7.
However, Sundar’s availability for the global tournament remains uncertain at this stage.
Recovery Timeline Still Unclear
According to sources, Sundar is still a few weeks away from full recovery following the injury suffered while bowling in the opening ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium last Sunday.
A source familiar with the matter told IANS that Washington will miss the T20I series against New Zealand as he needs at least a few more weeks to recover from the injury he sustained during the Vadodara ODI. The source added that his full fitness in time for the T20 World Cup remains uncertain.
The source added that Sundar is likely to report to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru shortly, where he will receive further rehabilitation assessment.
“Washington is likely to report to the CoE in Bengaluru on Saturday and will know more about his recovery timeline once he reaches there.”
Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had already ruled Sundar out of the ongoing ODI series after scans revealed acute discomfort in his left lower rib area.
Sundar’s unavailability marks the second injury setback for India ahead of the T20I series, following Tilak Varma’s groin surgery, which has ruled him out of the first three matches of the five-game contest.
In Sundar’s absence, the BCCI has named 26-year-old Ayush Badoni as his replacement, handing the youngster his maiden national call-up.
India’s squad for the T20I series: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Varma (unavailable for first three games), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, and Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper).
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