Team India all-rounder Washington Sundar has not fully recovered from a side strain that was later aggravated by a rib fracture, with the 2026 T20 World Cup drawing closer. He picked up the injury during the opening ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara on January 11 while trying to stop a return shot off his own bowling.
Sundar left the field immediately after the incident and did not take further part in the innings. Despite the setback, he came out to bat during the closing stages of a tense chase, clearly in discomfort. He was subsequently ruled out of the remaining ODI matches and the entire five-match T20I series.
As per a report in Dainik Jagran, the all-rounder is still short of full fitness, and the team management is expected to decide on a possible replacement following his next bowling session scheduled for Wednesday, February 4.
“Washington Sundar is not yet fully fit, he had a fracture in his rib. He has shown good progress in rehab and has completed four batting sessions. On February two, he bowled four overs in spot bowling.”
”On February four, he will have another bowling session to assess whether his fractured area can handle the load. After that, it will be decided how to proceed with his rehab,” the report mentions.
Washington Sundar is presently undergoing his rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru. The same facility has also been used by players such as Tilak Varma, Mayank Yadav and Riyan Parag, all of whom have recently been cleared fit by the medical team.
Washington Sundar Faces Fitness Race Ahead Of T20 World Cup 2026
Washington Sundar was absent from the India ‘A’ squad that faced the USA in a warm-up match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on February 2. The all-rounder is also expected to miss India’s only warm-up game against South Africa at the same venue on February 4.
According to reports, Sundar may even sit out the group-stage matches as he continues to gradually build his workload in the bid to regain full fitness. The Tamil Nadu and Gujarat Titans all-rounder is highly valued by the team management, particularly for his effectiveness as an off-spinner who can trouble left-handed batters.
In case he is unable to recover in time, India could look at potential replacements, with Riyan Parag, Ayush Badoni and Ravi Bishnoi emerging as strong options. All three featured for India ‘A’ against the USA and played key roles in their 38-run victory.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.