India will complete the one-day series against New Zealand without Washington Sundar after the all-rounder picked up a rib problem during Sunday’s opener in Vadodara.
The 26-year-old delivered five tidy overs for 27 before leaving the field midway through the New Zealand innings. He later re-appeared at No 8, clearly uncomfortable yet keen to help finish a four-wicket win.
“Washington has been ruled out due to onset of discomfort in his left lower rib area,” a BCCI official confirmed. Scans on Monday morning ended any hope of a quick return.
Captain Shubman Gill had already sounded cautious at the presentation: “Washington Sundar has a side strain and will go for a scan after the match,” he said, hinting at what was to come.
India’s medical team has endured a busy week. Rishabh Pant is recovering from a side strain that ruled him out of this series, while Tilak Varma’s post-surgery groin rehabilitation means he will miss at least the first three T20Is that follow. Losing three players in eight days is hardly ideal preparation for a season that culminates in a home-and-away T20 World Cup in February-March.
For now, India must revise plans for the remaining ODIs in Rajkot on 14 January and Indore on 18 January. A replacement has not yet been named; the selectors could dip into the ‘A’ squad or look to a domestic performer with overs in his legs and late-order runs—a role Washington has filled neatly since his debut.
After the fifty-over leg, the squads move straight into five T20s: Nagpur (21 Jan), Raipur (23 Jan), Guwahati (25 Jan), Visakhapatnam (28 Jan) and Thiruvananthapuram (31 Jan). With only a fortnight between the final match and the World Cup opener, keeping the rest of the group fit has become a priority as much as results themselves.
Washington’s absence removes an economical off-spinner and a flexible left-hand bat. Those are not impossible skills to replace, but they rarely come in the same player.
