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India will play its first T20 World Cup game on February 7, and the chances of Sundar getting fit by then look bleak. (BCCI)
Washington Sundar is fighting a race against time to be fully fit for the T20 World Cup, as it is learnt that the injured all-rounder will need two more weeks to recover fully. Sundar had to miss the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand after he suffered a rib injury in the first ODI at Vadodara, which ruled him out for the last two ODIs as well.
The BCCI had said in its statement that Sundar reported an acute onset of discomfort in his left lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI. The 26-year-old bowled only five overs, and post-injury, he left the field. However, he did come out to bat after India had a sudden middle-order collapse. He scored seven runs from seven deliveries and put on an important stand with KL Rahul, which helped India win the first ODI.
India will play its first T20 World Cup game against the USA in Mumbai on February 7, and the chances of Sundar getting fit by then look bleak.
“He needs two more weeks to be completely fit. The medical team has advised him to rest for two weeks more. The senior selection committee and team management will have to take a call on whether to continue with him or have a replacement,” a BCCI source said.
India is likely to play two warm-up games, and there is a chance that Sundar may not be fit by then. The management, though, have kept Ravi Bishnoi as a standby player. Since making his international debut in 2017, Washington has missed two T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022 due to different injuries. This was the first time he was included in a World Cup team.
Tilak to be available for last T20I
Meanwhile, left-handed batter Tilak Varma is expected to be fit and available for India’s fifth and final T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram on January 31. Varma underwent abdominal surgery on the sidelines of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Rajkot and was adviced rest for two weeks.
The Indian Express understands that the batter is pushing hard to be fit at the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru. However, the team management wants him to be fully fit for the T20 World Cup, instead of eying his return for the series finale against New Zealand on Saturday.
In its statement earlier, BCCI had stated that Tilak will resume physical training and gradually return to skill-based activities once his symptoms have fully resolved and wound healing is satisfactory. “He is ruled out of the first three T20Is against New Zealand. His availability for the remaining two matches will be assessed based on his progress during the return-to-training and skill phases,” BCCI secretary Devajit Sakia had said.
Having spent years covering Mumbai’s local "maidan" cricket circuit, Devendra Pandey brings a unique ground-level perspective to his reporting. ... Read More
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