Washington Sundar Excluded from T20I Series Against New Zealand Due to Injury

Washington Sundar's Injury Update

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 16: Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar will miss the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which kicks off on January 21. This announcement was made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday.

Recently, Sundar experienced acute discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on January 11. Following this, he underwent scans and had a consultation with a specialist, leading to a diagnosis of a side strain. He has been advised to rest for several days before returning to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further treatment.

In light of Sundar's absence, the BCCI Men's Selection Committee has appointed star leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as his replacement for the T20I series against New Zealand.

Moreover, ace batter Shreyas Iyer has been included in the T20I squad for the first three matches, stepping in for the injured Tilak Varma.

Tilak Varma recently underwent surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot and was discharged from the hospital on Thursday morning. He is currently stable and recovering well. Varma is expected to resume physical training and gradually return to skill-based activities once his symptoms have resolved and his wound has healed properly.

India's updated T20I squad:

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravi Bishnoi.