Washington Sundar injury blow rules him out of NZ ODI series

A gritty outing in Vadodara has come at a heavy cost for Washington Sundar, with the India allrounder ruled out of the remaining ODIs against New Zealand after picking up a rib/side injury in the series opener.

The 26-year-old off-spinning allrounder bowled just 5 overs for 27 runs before walking off mid-spell, clearly in discomfort as he clutched his left side. He did not return to the field but, in classic team-first style, still came out to bat at No. 8 in India’s tense four-wicket chase of a 300-plus target.

Grit in Vadodara, concern for the rest of the series

Sundar’s brief stay with the bat – 7 off 7 – was less about runs and more about resilience. Running was a struggle, strokeplay was restricted, but he hung in long enough to ensure KL Rahul could close out the game with calculated calm. The visuals of Sundar grimacing between the wickets told their own story, and post-match assessments confirmed the worst for Indian fans.

The injury is a double whammy for Team India, already juggling workloads and absences on this New Zealand tour. With Rishabh Pant sidelined by a side strain and Tilak Varma also unavailable in the white-ball leg, Sundar’s exit further thins the balance of India’s XI, especially in conditions where his powerplay control and lower-order hitting were central to the game plan.

Selection headache for India’s think-tank

Sundar’s absence now forces the management to rethink the spin-allrounder slot. The like-for-like options are limited: India may be tempted to play a specialist spinner and lengthen the tail, or trust a batting allrounder and back the seamers to shoulder more overs. Either way, the flexibility Sundar offers – new-ball overs, middle-overs squeeze, and handy runs at No. 7 or 8 – is not easily replaced.

With the ODI calendar packed in 2026 and spots fiercely contested, this setback could not have come at a worse time for a player who has repeatedly fought back from injuries to stay in the white-ball conversation. For now, India lead the series, but they will have to do the hard work of sealing it without one of their most quietly influential pieces.

The focus for Sundar will shift to recovery and rehab, as fans hope this is a short interruption rather than another long layoff in a stop-start international journey.