Team India registered a comprehensive whitewash in the three matches ODI series against West Indies. However ahead of the T20I series against West Indies, Team India have suffered a setback as all-rounder Washington Sundar has been reportedly ruled out of the T20 series due to a hamstring injury.
On the evening of Monday 14 February, there were reports of Sundar getting injured and out of the series, after which the BCCI confirmed it late in the night. A statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said, “All-rounder Washington Sundar suffered a left hamstring muscle strain during fielding in the third ODI against the West Indies played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Friday.”
According to a report by Cricbuzz, Sundar has suffered a Grade 1 hamstring injury. A Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) official told Cricbuzz that Sundar will report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Tuesday. He is expected to spend three weeks at NCA which could mean he missed the upcoming series against Sri Lanka too.
Kuldeep Yadav has been named as Washington’s replacement. All three matches of the series would be played in Kolkata, on February 16, 18 and 20. Kuldeep last played T20Is for India during a 3-match series against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka last year in August. Kuldeep was also part of the ODI squad and the left-arm wrist-spinner returned to the ODI set-up for the first time in nearly a year when he played the final ODI on Friday. Kuldeep picked up 2 wickets in India’s victory in the series finale.
India’s T20I squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (vice-captain) (wicket-keeper), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Ravi Bishnoi, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohd. Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Deepak Hooda, Kuldeep Yadav.