Washington Sundar (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Washington Sundar is scheduled to undergo a fitness test at the BCCI’s Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru on February 4, three days before India’s World T20 campaign begins on February 7. The spin-bowling all-rounder’s availability for the tournament is currently uncertain as his recovery from the side strain is taking much longer than expected. Wasington retained in the first ODI against New Zealand on 11 January.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!TOI understands that the team management and selectors are willing to wait for official medical information on Washington before starting backup plans. Teams can make changes until January 30, but injury substitutions can also be made during the tournament if approved by the tournament’s technical committee. The Indian team is scheduled to meet in Mumbai for their first training session on February 3 before playing a warm-up match against South Africa on February 4.
Washington Sundar recovery details at BCCI CoE | Why India is Patient | T20 World Cup
Washington’s fitness test could give an idea of the speed of his recovery. While the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) never specified the nature of the injury, sources said he suffered a muscle tear near the ribs on his back.On Wednesday, Tilak Varma and Riyan Parag played a mock match at the CoE while Washington did not do any intensive practice. “Washington’s injury needs to heal naturally before he gets back into the process of returning to the game,” a BCCI source said. Tilak is expected to join the team before the friendly match.The team looks settled even without vice-captain Axar Patel taking the field in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand. While Parag is seen as a similar replacement for Washington, the team management has struck a good balance even without the spin-bowling all-rounder. “If Washington is fit for the later stages of the World Cup, the team may wait for him,” the source said.
