Washington Sundar - (Source: AFP)
The T20 World Cup 2026 starts from February 7, and defending champions India will kickstart their campaign on the same day against the USA at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Ahead of the curtain-raiser, the Men in Blue are sweating hard over Washington Sundar’s fitness.
Notably, the star all-rounder, who is part of the 15-member squad, is facing a race against time to be fit for the marquee event. In the latest events, sports journalist Abhishek Tripathi has confirmed that Sundar is still far from receiving a green light for the World Cup.
Washington Sundar continues to be at CoE
The tweet mentioned that Sundar is still at the CoE, where he is recovering from a rib fracture. Notably, Sundar is on track as he batted in the nets and also bowled a four-over spell on February 2. The 26-year-old will undergo a fitness Test on February 4, where the doctors will assess his condition and then grant a green light to join the Indian team.
“Washington Sundar is not yet fully fit...he had a fracture in his rib. He has shown good progress in rehab and has completed four batting sessions. On February two, he bowled four overs in spot bowling. On February four, he will have another bowling session to assess whether his fractured area can handle the load. After that, it will be decided how to proceed with his rehab,” read Tripathi’s spot.
What Happened to Washington Sundar?
Washington Sundar suffered the injury during the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11 in Vadodara. , he felt sharp pain in his lower left rib area and was forced to walk off the field immediately.
Medical scans later confirmed a side strain, which was initially believed to be minor. However, further assessments revealed that the injury was more serious and would require a longer recovery period.
Sundar was ruled out of the ODIs, but was expected to return for the T20I series. However, he failed to recover early and missed the entire five-match T20I series against New Zealand.
Washington Sundar to miss India’s T20 World Cup 2026 match
India will play just a solitary warm-up match in the build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026, which is against South Africa on February 4 at the Dr DY Patil Stadium. Notably, after the T20I series against New Zealand on January 31, the Men in Blue assembled in Mumbai on February 3, where they held a training session before the World Cup.
However, Sundar continues to be in rehab, which means he will miss the T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up game and also doubtful for the opening games. One of the positives for India is that Tilak Varma, who was another player on the injured list, has regained full fitness.
Tilak will play the warm-up game and also feature in India A’s warm-up match against the USA, where he scored a quickfire 38 and shrugged off injury concerns.
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