Sundar's Injury Rocks Team India: Who Will Fill His World Cup Spot? 5 Players in Race!

• Washington Sundar ruled out of New Zealand series due to a rib injury sustained in Baroda, creating uncertainty for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
• Ayush Badoni replaces Sundar in the ODI team; Badoni and Riyan Parag are potential T20 World Cup options, offering batting and off-spin.
• Other contenders include leg-spinner Vipraj Nigam (Delhi, IPL) and experienced all-rounder Nitish Reddy, who can bat and bowl.
• With Axar Patel already in the team, another left-arm spin all-rounder is unlikely; focus shifts to right-arm spin or specialist batters.
• Shreyas Iyer is a strong contender if a specialist batter is preferred, potentially strengthening the middle order and allowing Tilak Varma recovery time.

Why It Matters: Washington Sundar's injury sparks a five-player race for his T20 World Cup spot, creating selection dilemmas for Team India.