Washington Sundar is unlikely to be part of India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad due to the intensity of a lower left rib injury that he picked up during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. Sundar picked up the injury after bowling five overs in that fixture and was soon ruled out of the ODI series, although he did unexpectedly come out to bat in the same game.
On Thursday (January 15), the medical staff ruled Sundar out of the New Zealand T20Is as well. The five-match series is India's final preparation before T20 World Cup 2026 which starts from February 7 onwards. Sundar has been asked to report at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru to chart out his rehabilitation plan.
Historically, Sundar has been fragile when it comes to his fitness and has often picked up injuries from out of the blue. He has also taken sufficient time in recovery and a side strain is not an easy injury to get out from, especially at short notice. Rib injuries are detrimental to any sportsperson, let alone an all-rounder who needs to contribute with bat and ball.
January 31 is the deadline for teams to make changes to their respective World Cup squads. Initially, it did seem like Sundar might retain his spot but with the medical updates not encouraging, the Tamil Nadu all-rounder could find himself out of the final squad. After January 31, changes can only be made in exceptional circumstances and these changes need the approval of ICC's technical committee too.
As Sundar has picked up the injury well before the T20 World Cup, getting a replacement for him after the deadline could be a tricky affair. A clearer picture shall emerge after he reports to the CoE but for now, Sundar is likely to be sidelined for the T20 World Cup.