Washington Sundar has been sidelined from competitive Cricket since January 11, when he experienced “acute onset discomfort” in his lower rib area during the first ODI against New Zealand. After leaving the field, he was unable to continue in the rest of the series. Following India’s victory over the USA on February 7 in Mumbai, captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that Washington will rejoin the team ahead of their match in Delhi against Namibia.
During the post-match presentation, Suryakumar stated that Washington would connect with the team in Delhi.
“Washi [Washington] is joining us in Delhi. He is good, everything is fine.”
What happened to Washington Sundar?
On January 11, Washington left the field after bowling five overs due to pain in his lower abdomen. Although he batted later, he was diagnosed with a lower rib injury that kept him out of the rest of the New Zealand series. Ayush Badoni was brought in to lead Delhi in the Vijaya Hazare trophy, but did not participate in any matches.
Ravi Bishnoi was added to the five-match T20 squad; however, no replacement was mentioned for the T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, Washington underwent rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, starting low-intensity batting by January 28. He missed India’s T20 World Cup opener against the USA as he was still following his “Return to Play” protocols.
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How is Jasprit Bumrah?
Jasprit Bumrah was another notable absence in the first match against the USA on February 7, as he was suffering from a high fever caused by weather conditions and did not train with the team prior to the match. Although he was seen alongside the team and even took drinks to the field, Suryakumar Yadav mentioned that Bumrah might be back for the game against Namibia.
The Abhishek Sharma confusion
Indian opener Abhishek Sharma did have some discomfort and did not field in the second innings. Sanju Samson replaced him as a substitute fielder. Mohammed Siraj, who substituted for Bumrah, informed the media post-match that Abhishek had a stomach upset, while Suryakumar stated he was “under the weather.”
Meanwhile, captain Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 84 helped India reach 161/9, with disciplined bowling from Siraj and Arshdeep limiting the USA to 132/8. This secured a 29-run victory in the Group A clash on the T20 World Cup opening night at Wankhede Stadium.
