Injured Washington Sundar ruled out of 3rd ODI against England due to hamstring strain
New Delhi, July 17
India's off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the third and final deciding ODI against England at Lord's on Sunday after sustaining a hamstring injury.
Washington, 26, picked up the injury while completing a run in the 33rd over during India's six-wicket defeat in the second ODI at Cardiff on Thursday. After a brief check from physio Kamlesh Jain, who then heavily strapped his right thigh, Washington resumed batting, but his stay ended on the very next delivery after he edged a short ball from pacer Saqib Mahmood to wicket-keeper Jos Buttler and fell for two.
Subsequently, Washington did not take the field during England's chase, with Arshdeep Singh coming on as the substitute fielder. The three-match series is currently tied at 1-1, with the decider to be played at the iconic Lord's.
IANS understands that Washington's hamstring strain will need a few weeks of rest and rehab, which means he can't take the field for Sunday's clash. In his absence, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav could get a look-in into the playing eleven.
Washington hit a match-winning 52 not out in the series opener win at Edgbaston and his absence leaves a massive void as India lacks a like-for-like replacement, especially with seam-bowling all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy already sidelined due to varied injuries.
"Washington's injury - which he had when he ran his first run to mid-off. His hamstring, I think, it looks like a bad injury, and next ball he got out," India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had said in the post-match press conference at Cardiff.
Kuldeep has had a tough run lately, featuring in just one of India's last 13 international games across formats following a challenging IPL 2026 campaign for Delhi Capitals and made a switch to Lucknow Super Giants shortly after that.
While Kuldeep boasts an impressive record of 194 wickets in 121 ODIs, his lower-order batting limitations have impacted his selection into the playing eleven. If the Indian team management decides against his inclusion, they might bolster the batting by playing both Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul, provided the latter recovers from the illness that forced him to miss the game in Cardiff.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I feel sad for Washington. He was playing so well! But why do our players keep getting injured? First Hardik, then Harshit, Nitish, and now Washington. The fitness standards need a serious review. Also, Kuldeep Yadav's record in ODIs is solid - 194 wickets in 121 matches. Give him a chance at Lord's! The pitch might assist spin. 🤔
Honestly, I think the team management should have managed Washington's workload better. He ran that single, felt the injury, and then played one more ball and got out. That shows poor decision-making from the dugout as well. As for the decider, I'd rather see Kuldeep play than weaken our batting by playing a makeshift all-rounder. Lord's has history - let's hope we bounce back! 🏏
This is typical Indian cricket - we have too many injury-prone players. Washington is good but not indispensable. I say bring in Kuldeep, and also give a chance to Ravi Bishnoi in future series. We need to develop more spin-bowling all-rounders. England is 1-1 now, and with Lord's being a big ground, we need good spinners who can bat a bit. Let's trust the bowlers to do the job! 💪
As an American cricket fan, I'm still learning the game, but India's injury woes seem concerning. Washington Sundar's absence leaves a big gap in the middle order. I hope Kuldeep Yadav gets a shot - his ODIs record is impressive. Good luck to team India for the decider at Lord's! 🇮🇳🏏
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