IND vs NZ 2026: Washington Sundar ruled out of T20I series, Ravi Bishnoi and Shreyas Iyer named as replacements

Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand after sustaining a side strain. Sundar reported acute discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on January 11. He subsequently underwent scans and an in-person consultation with a specialist.

Following medical assessment, Sundar was diagnosed with a side strain and has been advised to take rest for a few days. He will then report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further rehabilitation and management of his injury.

In his absence, leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi has been named as his replacement in the T20I squad. Additionally, middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has been added to the squad for the first three T20Is as a replacement for Tilak Varma, who has been ruled out due to injury.

Speaking about Tilak Varma, the youngster is currently undergoing rehabilitation under the close supervision of the BCCI medical team. The 23-year-old is yet to resume physical training, as the wound around his groin has not fully healed. However, the Board confirmed that further updates on Tilak’s injury will be shared once he returns to skill-based activities.

The injury comes at an inconvenient time for both the player and the Indian team management. Tilak has emerged as a key component of India’s T20 setup over the past year, most notably delivering a decisive knock in India’s Asia Cup 2025 final victory against Pakistan. As India prepares to defend their T20 World Cup title, the team and fans alike will be hoping for his swift recovery.

The five-match T20I series against New Zealand is scheduled to begin on January 21 in Nagpur. The Men in Blue will be keen to clinch the series and head into the marquee tournament with momentum and confidence.

India’s updated T20I squad:

Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (VC), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ravi Bishnoi