New Delhi, 12 January (H.S.): The Indian cricket team suffered a significant setback during the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand as all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remaining two matches due to injury.
According to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Sundar experienced sudden pain in his lower left rib while bowling during the first ODI at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. After bowling just five overs, he was forced to leave the field and did not return for fielding during New Zealand's innings.
This meant only one Indian bowler completed their full quota of 10 overs.Despite the discomfort, Sundar was compelled to bat at number 8 after Harshit Rana's dismissal while chasing a target of 301 runs.
Visibly uneasy, he held one end steady as KL Rahul anchored the innings and steered India to victory in the penultimate over.
The BCCI stated that Sundar will undergo further scan tests, after which the medical team will consult specialists. He has been officially excluded from the remaining two games of the IDFC First Bank ODI series. His availability for the upcoming five-match T20 series against New Zealand also remains uncertain, with participation in the initial T20Is considered unlikely.
This injury comes at a challenging time, as India was already set to miss Tilak Varma for the first three T20Is. With Varma sidelined and Sundar's fitness in doubt, concerns are mounting for the team management ahead of the Men's T20 World Cup, where India begins its campaign in Mumbai on February 7.
In the meantime, the men's selection committee has named Ayush Badoni as Sundar's replacement. Badoni, who will join the team in Rajkot ahead of the second ODI, earns his maiden call-up to the ODI squad.
Updated Indian squad for the second and third ODIs:
Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), Ayush Badoni.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
