A big update has come out on the return of all-rounder Washington Sundar before the 2026 T20 World Cup. Sundar was injured during the ODI series against New Zealand. Due to this injury he had to miss the T20 series against New Zealand. According to Times of India, Washington Sundar is almost certain to play in the T20 World Cup, but he may have to miss the first few matches.

Quoting Times of India, a source said that there are still more than 2 weeks left for the World Cup match between India and Pakistan and Sundar is in the race to play that match. The good news is that Sundar’s chances of playing in the World Cup have increased, but the bad news is that he may miss the first 2 matches. A final decision on them can be taken only when there is no possibility of withdrawal.

The source said that Washington Sundar was selected in the World Cup team so that he could create problems for the left-handed batsmen of the opposition teams. It is being told that this is also the reason for Ravi Bishnoi getting a chance in the T20 series against New Zealand. Currently, there are not many options for off-spin bowlers and bowling all-rounders in Team India.

Will Ravi Bishnoi take Sundar’s place?

BCCI included Ravi Bishnoi in Team India as a replacement for Washington Sundar for the T20 series against New Zealand. There is news that Sundar will miss the first 2 matches, but in case Sundar takes more time to get fit, then the door will be open to bring Ravi Bishnoi into the World Cup squad.

India’s squad for T20 World Cup: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Verma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dubey, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakraborty, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

Also read:

ICC Rankings: Before the T20 World Cup, Suryakumar Yadav made a big jump in the rankings, despite being on top, Abhishek Sharma suffered a loss.

T20 World Cup 2026 will start from 7th February, which is being hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka. All the matches of Group B will be held in Sri Lanka, while Pakistan will also play all its matches in Sri Lanka only. Before the start of the tournament, India has a practice match, which is to be held at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. There is good news about Tilak Verma, while all-rounder Washington Sundar may be out of the tournament.

The injuries of Washington Sundar and Tilak Verma are a matter of concern for Team India, but the news is that Tilak has now fully recovered. According to a report in Indian Express, Tilak will be available for the fifth T20 against New Zealand, although the management wants to keep him fully fit for the T20 World Cup.

Washington Sundar’s replacement

Washington Sundar is out of the team due to a side strain. It is being said that Washington’s recovery is slow, due to which he may be out of the T20 World Cup. Riyan Parag’s name is coming forward as Washington’s replacement. They have been asked to be ready at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru. Let us tell you that Parag has to play 2 simulation matches on 28th and 30th January. If he passes the fitness test, he may also be asked to join the stitches.

In the ongoing T20 series against New Zealand, Ravi Bishnoi was included in place of Washington Sundar, who was also included in the playing 11 in the third T20. He took 2 wickets while bowling economically. The report quoted a BCCI source as saying that the board does not want to rush Washington’s return. Therefore, their options are being seriously considered.

When is the warm-up match?

It is reported that BCCI is preparing for a warm-up match at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai. This match can be either against South Africa or against India A. With this the team will finalize its playing 11. Warm-up matches play an important role before any big tournament.

Ravindra Jadeja Retirement Hint: Team India’s star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja could not do anything special in the three-match ODI series played against New Zealand recently. He did not get any wicket in all three matches and while batting in all three innings, he could not cross the 30-run mark in any of them, after which the discussion about his retirement intensified. Now Jadeja himself has given a big hint about his retirement.

Jadeja himself said that his time has come. Let us tell you that Jadeja had announced his retirement from T20 International after the 2024 T20 World Cup. At present he is available for India in Test and ODI cricket. So let us know what Jaddu said about retirement after poor performance in ODI.

Will Jadeja retire from ODI cricket soon?

Actually, a video is becoming increasingly viral on social media, in which Ravindra Jadeja and Rishabh Pant are seen at an event. During this, Jadeja and Pant are asked whether both of them have ever thought about acting in films? Pant first responded to this by saying, “I have not thought about it yet. Let me play cricket for now. I don’t know about Jadeja bhai.”

Responding to Pant’s statement, Jadeja said, “So, this is indirectly saying that my time has come.” The thing to note is that while saying this, a smile appeared on Jadeja’s face. But this can also prove to be a big hint for the fans.

2 replacements for Jadeja in ODI

After Jadeja, either Washington Sundar or Akshar Patel can take his place permanently in ODIs. Although both the players have been playing ODI cricket for India for a long time. So far Akshar has played 71 ODIs and Washington has played 29 ODIs.

Washington Sundar was also included in the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2026, but it is considered certain that he will be out of the tournament due to injury. Let us tell you that Washington, who got injured during the first ODI against New Zealand, has been ruled out of the entire ODI series and T20 series against New Zealand. The T20 World Cup starts from 7th February, before which it is considered difficult for him to recover.

Washington Sundar’s dream of playing in T20 World Cup 2026 may be shattered. In history, many Indian players have had to be left out of the World Cup team due to injury, the name of Jasprit Bumrah is also included in this. Here we are telling about 5 such players.

Virender Sehwag

Sehwag was one of the most dangerous batsmen in the world during his time, who used to hit big shots from the first ball. He could not play T20 World Cup twice due to injury. He was included in the T20 World Cup squad in 2009, but had to be ruled out due to a shoulder injury. He did not even play in the 2010 T20 World Cup due to a shoulder injury, Murali Vijay was included in his place.

Akshar Patel

Akshar Patel was also selected in the team for the 2023 World Cup. Akshar got injured even before the tournament started, due to which he had to be ruled out of the World Cup. Ashwin was included in the team in his place. India had reached the final in this edition.

Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah did not play in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Although he was included in the team, he could not play due to back problem. Mohammed Shami was included in his place in the tournament.

Praveen Kumar

Praveen Kumar had to be ruled out of the 2011 World Cup due to an elbow injury. Praveen was famous for his swing bowling, which used to trouble the batsmen with the new ball. S Sreesanth was included in the team in his place.

Ishant Sharma

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was selected in the Indian team for the 2015 World Cup, but he got injured before the tournament. He had to miss the World Cup due to a knee injury, Mohit Sharma was selected in his place in the team.

The Indian cricket team has suffered a big setback before the T20 World Cup. Star all-rounder Washington Sundar is also out of the T20 series against New Zealand after the ODI. There is also doubt over his playing the T20 World Cup. Let us tell you that he had side strain during the first match of the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand.

In the first ODI, Washington Sundar was able to bowl only 5 overs, after which he had to leave the field. Although, if necessary, he came out to bat, but after the match, BCCI issued a statement saying that he has been ruled out of the ODI series and Ayush Badoni has been included in the series in his place.

Washington Sundar out of T20 series too

Washington Sundar has also been ruled out of the 5-match T20 series against New Zealand. According to the report of Cricbuzz, his playing in the T20 World Cup 2026 is also doubtful, because he is unlikely to recover before the start of the tournament. BCCI had said in its statement, “While bowling, he felt severe pain in his left lower rib area.”

The report said that after the subsequent scans, the board has asked him to report to the Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for further assessment and rehabilitation.

india vs new zealand t20 series schedule

• 21 January- VCA Stadium, Nagpur
• 23 January- SVNS Stadium, Raipur
• 25 January- Barsapara Stadium, Guwahati
• 28 January- ACA-VDCA, Visakhapatnam
• 31 January- Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram

All five T20 matches will start at 7 pm. This will be a good opportunity to test your combination and preparations before the T20 World Cup 2026. It remains to be seen who joins the T20 series in place of Washington.

India’s squad for T20 WC against NZ

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dubey, Axar Patel (vice-captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakraborty, Washington Sundar (doubtful to play), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper).

The first ODI match between India and New Zealand was played on 11 January in Vadodara. Washington Sundar got injured while bowling in that match. In his place, 26-year-old Ayush Badoni has been included in the Indian squad for the remaining 2 ODI matches. Ayush Badoni has been selected in Team India for the first time, but due to this decision, head coach Gautam has come under serious criticism.

Gautam Gambhir is being accused of bias. Fans have raised many questions on social media whether Ayush Badoni deserved to be selected in Team India? Actually, the reason for the anger of the fans is the figures of Ayush Badoni, which have not been good in recent times.

Didn’t do anything amazing, still got selected

It takes years for players to make a place in Team India. Despite consistently performing well, many times some talented cricketers are not able to enter the Indian squad. On the other hand, Ayush Badoni’s List A figures are not indicating any amazing performance. So far he has scored 693 runs in 27 List A matches, and his average is 36.47.

Ayush Badoni has got a chance to bat thrice in the last five List A matches. He has scored only 16 runs in these 3 innings. His performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was below average, yet questions are bound to be raised about his selection in Team India.

Gautam Gambhir is showing favoritism

Gautam Gambhir is being heavily criticized on social media. While trolling him, a person wrote that under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, the bias within the Indian team has increased beyond limits. The same person further wrote that Gambhir likes Ayush Badoni very much, that is why despite his poor performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he got selected in Team India. Some people linked the selection of Ayush Badoni with LSG, because both have been part of the Lucknow Super Giants team.

Favoritism in Indian cricket has gone to the next level these days under the leadership of GAUTAM GAMBHIR.

The whole of India knows how much Gautam Gambhir supports Ayush Badoni and now he got India A call up, with garbage level VHT performances.

Who Next? Saini, Nitish?

— Ankit (@CricCrazyAnkit) January 13, 2026

Yes, Ayush Badoni and Gautam Gambhir worked together in the IPL. Gambhir served as mentor for Lucknow Super Giants in 2022 and 2023, where Badoni played and credited him for support during his debut. Gambhir later moved to KKR. pic.twitter.com/mYVVYzt5Jt

— Star (@thestargame888) January 12, 2026

Ayush Badoni has been the blue eyed boy of Gautam Gambhir since his LSG mentor days. I don’t think he deserves a place in the Indian team at the moment. But having said that, good luck to him!

— RP (@rajprem1) January 13, 2026

Also read:

Shikhar Dhawan got engaged, who is his future bride Sophie Shine and how did the love story start?

IND vs NZ: After the first ODI played between India and New Zealand, a big question has arisen regarding the management of Team India. Now former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has openly expressed his displeasure over the decision to send injured Washington Sundar to bat. Calling this decision wrong, Kaif has raised questions on the double standards of head coach Gautam Gambhir and the team management.

Questions raised on batting despite injury

India had got the target of 301 runs in the first ODI played in Vadodara. Despite being injured, Washington Sundar came on the field to bat at the crucial time of the match. Sundar scored 7 unbeaten runs in 7 balls and along with KL Rahul took India to victory. However, soon after the match, Sundar was dropped from the entire series and Ayush Badoni was included in the team in his place.

Why did management forget the example of Shubman Gill?

Mohammad Kaif, while talking about this entire matter on his YouTube channel, accused the team management of adopting a double attitude. Kaif reminded that when Shubman Gill was injured in the Test series against South Africa, he was given complete rest. Gill did not come out to bat in the Kolkata Test, even though the team needed 20-30 runs. This was done so that his injury did not increase. According to Kaif, the same thinking was not adopted in the case of Washington Sundar, which is wrong.

Despite the victory, the decision is risky

Kaif admitted that India won the match, but it does not mean that the decision to send Sundar to bat was right. He said that when a player is injured and comes out to bat in a pressure situation, his injury can become more serious. Sundar was not able to score double runs and was dependent only on single runs, which clearly showed that he was not completely fit.

there were other options

Kaif believes that the team had other options at that time. If the run rate was around runs per ball, any player like Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj or Prasidh Krishna could have been sent. An injured player should be sent only when there is no other option left.

Kaif clearly said that sending Sundar to bat was a wrong and risky decision. Due to this, an injury of one week or ten days can last for 20-25 days.

The second ODI match to be played between India and New Zealand in Rajkot on Wednesday is going to be special in many ways. By winning the first match, Team India has already taken a 1-0 lead in the series. If the Indian team captained by Shubman Gill also wins the second match, then it will gain an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. In such a situation, the team management will focus on fielding a strong and balanced playing eleven.

However, before the second ODI, Team India has also suffered a setback. All-rounder Washington Sundar is out of the series due to injury. He suffered from side strain while bowling in the first ODI played in Vadodara. After this, on the advice of the medical team, he has been given rest for the remaining two matches. Sundar’s absence has started a new discussion regarding the team combination.

Chance for a new face to replace Sundar

After Washington Sundar’s exclusion, the Indian team has included 26-year-old Ayush Badoni in the ODI squad. Now there is every possibility that Badoni may get a chance to make his ODI debut for India in Rajkot. Team India needs a batsman at number 5 who can help in bowling along with scoring runs. Badoni seems to fit into this role.

Why Badoni is the Strongest Choice

Ayush Badoni has been consistently performing well in domestic cricket. He contributed with both bat and ball for Delhi in Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. In the match against Railways, he also showed his all-round ability by taking wickets at important moments. He has the option of off-spin bowling, which can prove useful on the Rajkot pitch.

The team also has options like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Dhruv Jurel. However, Reddy is a fast bowling all-rounder and the team is already planning to go with three fast bowlers. At the same time, Jurel is a wicketkeeper-batsman and does not bowl, due to which the balance of the team can be disturbed. In such a situation, it is almost certain that Badoni will get priority.

Team India does not seem to be in the mood for any major changes for the second ODI. This clearly means that left arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh may once again remain out of the playing eleven.

India’s probable playing eleven

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ayush Badoni, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.

Who is Ayush Badoni: Washington Sundar is out of the ODI series against New Zealand. He was injured while bowling in the first ODI match played in Vadodara. BCCI has declared Ayush Badoni as his replacement. The second and third ODI matches will be played between India and New Zealand on 14 and 18 January, for which Badoni has now replaced Sundar in the Indian squad. Know here who Ayush Badoni is and why he has been included in Team India’s squad for the first time.

Ayush Badoni was born on December 3, 1999 in Delhi, but he is originally a resident of Uttarakhand. His family comes from Silod, a small village located in Devprayag block. Originally coming from Uttarakhand, his family later shifted to Delhi, hence Ayush’s childhood was spent in Delhi.

Mother is a school teacher, father makes films.

Ayush Badoni has been very fond of cricket since childhood and started practicing professional cricket at the age of 9. He started taking training at Sonet Cricket Academy. In fact, his first coach was his father, Vivek Badoni. Seeing the passion for cricket in his son, Vivek started teaching him the tricks of ball and bat. Vivek Badoni makes documentary films by profession and Ayush’s mother, Vibha Badoni is a school teacher by profession. Father Vivek had made the terrace of the house a net practice area for Ayush. Ayush used to practice net here only.

26-year-old Ayush Badoni plays for Delhi in domestic cricket and plays for Lucknow Super Giants in IPL. Badoni was included in their squad by Lucknow Super Giants in 2022 for Rs 20 lakh. He has been playing for this team since then and he is going to get a huge salary of Rs 4 crore in IPL 2026.

Ayush Badoni’s career till now

Apart from scoring 1,788 runs in his career of 96 T20 matches so far, Ayush Badoni has also taken 17 wickets. In his List A career of 27 matches, he has 693 runs and 18 wickets in his name. So far in first-class cricket, he has played 21 matches and scored 1681 runs and also taken 22 wickets. Ayush has scored 963 runs in his IPL career of 56 matches.

Also read:

BCCI’s reaction to ICC’s suggestion of 2 venues, know the latest updates on Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup controversy.

IND vs NZ ODI Series: India is currently 1-0 ahead in the three-match ODI series after winning the match against New Zealand by 4 wickets. However, amidst this happiness, a worrying news has also emerged for Team India. After wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant, it is almost certain that all-rounder Washington Sundar will be out of the series.

Washington Sundar’s injury increased the problem

In the first ODI match, Washington Sundar suffered from side strain while bowling. He could bowl only 5 overs, in which he gave 27 runs. Sundar came out of the field after suddenly experiencing severe pain during bowling. However, seeing the need of the team, Sundar came to bat even in pain, but after the match, the concern about his injury deepened. Fast bowler Harshit Rana told after the match that Sundar has a side strain problem.

Second big blow after Rishabh Pant

Even before this series, Team India had suffered a big loss in the form of Rishabh Pant, who was out due to injury. Now if Washington Sundar is also out, the balance of the team may get disturbed a bit. Sundar is known for his useful batting as well as economical bowling in the lower order.

How was the first ODI match?

In the first ODI played in Vadodara, India defeated New Zealand in a thrilling match. Shubman Gill won the toss and decided to bowl first. New Zealand had a steady start. Thanks to the innings of Conway (56), Nicholls (62) and Mitchell (84), the Kiwi team put 300 runs on the board.

While chasing the target, India had a shaky start, but Virat Kohli’s brilliant inning of 93 runs laid the foundation of the team’s victory. Along with him, Shreyas Iyer, who was returning from injury, also contributed 49 runs. In the end, KL Rahul and Harshit Rana scored 29-29 runs and gave India victory.
eye on the road ahead

Team India has taken the lead in the series, but Washington Sundar’s injury remains a matter of concern for the team management. Now all eyes are on his medical update, because his absence in the coming two matches may cost India dearly.