Washington Sundar has been ruled out of India’s ODI tour of Zimbabwe because of an injury to his left shoulder, PTI reported on Tuesday.
His participation in the three-match series, to be played in Harare between August 18 and 22, became doubtful after Washington injured himself on August 10 while diving in the field to try and stop a drive during his county stint with Lancashire. He had landed awkwardly in the eighth over of Lancashire’s 50-overs Royal London Cup fixture against Worcestershire at Old Trafford, and immediately left the field clutching the left shoulder.
As reported by ESPNcricinfo at the time, he felt soreness in his shoulder, which put him out of the remainder of the match.
PTI quoted an unnamed BCCI official as saying that Washington “will have to undergo rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy [NCA]”.
Washington’s plan was to play the Royal London Cup match against Hampshire on August 14 before leaving for Zimbabwe. The remainder of the Indian team had left for Zimbabwe on August 13.
This is only the latest in a long sequence of injury setbacks for Washington, the 22-year-old offspin-bowling allrounder. In February this year, he had missed India’s T20Is at home against West Indies and Sri Lanka because of a hamstring injury. Then, during the IPL, where he was with Sunrisers Hyderabad, he hurt the webbing in his bowling hand twice and played just nine games.
Earlier, in January this year, he was sidelined from India’s ODI tour of South Africa after testing positive for Covid-19.
The last of his 39 international appearances – four Tests, four ODIs, 31 T20Is – came during the ODI series against West Indies in Ahmedabad on February 11.
He ended up playing just three Royal London Cup matches for Lancashire, scoring 30 runs in two innings and picking up three wickets. Prior to that, he played two County Championship matches too, starring in the win over Northamptonshire with a first-innings haul of 5 for 76 and a knock of 34* in a successful chase of 278.
India are going to be led in Zimbabwe by KL Rahul, himself returning after a sequence of injury- and health-related setbacks, with VVS Laxman, the NCA chief, acting as the head coach while Rahul Dravid takes a break ahead of the Asia Cup later this month.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo