India should be boosted by the return of all-rounder Washington Sundar after he narrowly missed out on his opening match against the United States of America at the 2026 FIFA T20 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav’s side were reduced to 77/6 in the 13th over over the associate nation but managed to dig themselves out of trouble courtesy of the skipper who scored an unbeaten 84 balls.
Despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and the deployment of half-back Abhishek Sharma, India managed to defend their 161. USA lacked the firepower to chase down the target and were restricted to 132/8 in their 20 overs.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed after the match that Washington Sundar, who has been sidelined since the T20I series against New Zealand, is set to make his comeback. Sundar will join the team in Delhi ahead of India’s second group stage match against Namibia.
“Washington Sundar is fit and will join the team directly in Delhi (before the Namibia match),” Surya said at the post-match presentation.
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What happened to Washington Sundar?
Washington Sundar suffered a side strain and a rib muscle tear during the ODI series against New Zealand and was subsequently ruled out of the five-match T20I series in the lead-up to the World Cup. He underwent rehabilitation at the BCCI Center of Excellence and is now ready to return to India’s World Cup campaign.
The Tamil Nadu all-rounder underwent an intensive rehabilitation program and completed all return-to-play protocols before being cleared by the medical and sports science team. He has been batting and bowling without discomfort at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru for almost a week.
Who Will Washington Sundar Replace?
India have already lost pacer Harshit Rana to a knee injury, with the fast bowler expected to be sidelined for a considerable period. Meanwhile, Bumrah missed the opening match due to a bout of fever.
Washington Sundar’s return probably doesn’t bode well for Rinka Singh as the team prefers a player who can contribute consistently with both bat and ball. Rinku struggled against USA, scoring just 6 runs off 14 balls without finding the timing.
Sundar’s inclusion will give India more flexibility in the spin department – a template that head coach Gautam Gambhir has relied on in the past year.
India’s next match is scheduled for February 12 against Namibia at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
February 8, 2026