Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remaining two India vs New Zealand ODIs after picking up a side strain during the first ODI in Vadodara on Sunday. The injury happened while he was playing, and because of it, he could bowl only five overs, giving away 27 runs without taking a wicket. When India came out to bat, Sundar was clearly in pain and struggled to run between the wickets. He still came in at No. 8 and scored 7 not out from 7 balls, adding an unbeaten 27-run stand with KL Rahul to help India finish the chase.
At the moment, it is also doubtful whether Sundar will be fit in time for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which starts on January 21 in Nagpur. His injury is a concern because he is part of India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup, which is less than a month away. After the match, Harshit Rana confirmed that Sundar had a side strain and said the medical team would assess him further.
A BCCI official confirmed that Sundar has been ruled out due to the discomfort in his left lower rib area. His injury adds to India’s growing fitness worries. Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the ODI series after suffering a side strain during training and was replaced by Dhruv Jurel. Tilak Varma is also unavailable for the first three T20Is against New Zealand after undergoing surgery for testicular torsion.
KL Rahul, speaking after the match, said he was not fully aware of how serious Sundar’s injury was while batting. He mentioned that he knew Sundar had some discomfort from the first innings but did not realize he was struggling to run. Rahul said there was no pressure on Sundar during the chase, as India was already scoring at a steady pace, and that Sundar rotated the strike well.
India vs New Zealand: Rishabh Pant Was Ruled Out Earlier, Making Washington Sundar Second Injury Blow for India
Washington Sundar is the second Indian player to be ruled out of this ODI series due to injury. Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out after getting injured during net practice. He was taken for MRI scans, and after review by the BCCI medical team and an expert, he was diagnosed with a side strain, also described as an oblique muscle tear.
Dhruv Jurel was named as Pant’s replacement and has already joined the Indian squad in Vadodara. Pant’s absence does not change India’s first-choice playing XI, as KL Rahul is already the main wicketkeeper-batter in ODIs. However, Pant was in decent form before the injury. He had recently captained Delhi in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, taken them to the quarter-finals, and scored two fifties in six innings.
Jurel came into the squad in good form, having scored six fifty-plus scores in his last seven List A innings. He also converted two of those into centuries for Uttar Pradesh. This marked a return to form for him after a poor Test series against South Africa last year, where he scored 14, 13, 0, and 2.
India and New Zealand to Play ODIs in Rajkot and Indore Before Five-Match T20I Series Begins
After the first ODI in Vadodara, India, India and New Zealand will play the remaining matches in Rajkot on January 14 and Indore on January 18. The teams will then move on to a five-match T20I series starting in Nagpur on January 21, followed by games in Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, and Thiruvananthapuram. The T20I series will act as preparation for the T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka in February and March. Neither Rishabh Pant nor Dhruv Jurel is part of India’s T20I squad.
FAQs
Q. Why has Washington Sundar been ruled out of the remaining ODIs against New Zealand?
A. Washington Sundar suffered a side strain during the first ODI in Vadodara.
Q. When did Washington Sundar get injured?
A. Washington Sundar got injured while playing in the first ODI on Sunday in Vadodara.
Q. Was any other Indian player ruled out earlier in the ODI series?
A. Yes, Rishabh Pant was ruled out earlier due to a side strain during training.
Q. Who replaced Rishabh Pant in the ODI squad?
A. Dhruv Jurel replaced Rishabh Pant and joined the Indian squad in Vadodara.
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