IND vs WI: Washington Sundar ruled out of T20I series against West Indies

Indian off-spinner Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against West Indies. According to Cricbuzz, a Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) official has revealed that Sundar has a Grade 1 hamstring injury and will have to report at the NCA on Tuesday (February 15), where the Chennai-based Indian spinner will be required to spend three weeks.

Notably, Sundar made his comeback to the international circuit in the recently-concluded ODI series against the Caribbean’s after a long injury-forced break. The 22-year-old is the third player to be out of the T20I battle against West Indies after vice-captain KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel.

Rahul suffered an upper left hamstring strain during fielding in the second ODI on February 9. On the other hand, Axar has resumed the final stage of his rehabilitation after recovering from Covid-19. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had announced Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements of Rahul and Axar. Although, the apex Indian board is less likely to name any replacement for Sundar, citing bio-security protocols.

“They will now head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of their injury. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Hooda as replacements,” the BCCI had said in a statement last week.

The three-match T20I series between the two nations starts on Wednesday (February 16). The second and third T20I will take place on February 18 and 20. All three games will be hosted by the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Here is updated India’s T20I squad for the West Indies series:

Rohit Sharma (Captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda.