Published on: Jan 21, 2026 6:01 pm IST|Updated on: Jan 22, 2026 10:02 am IST
The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is set to begin on February 7, and India’s preparations have hit a roadblock as all-rounder Washington Sundar has been sidelined with a side strain ahead of the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Washington Sundar is set to miss the ongoing 5-match T20I series against New Zealand at home and raised serious questions about his availability in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 to commence on February 7.
His injury has raised serious doubts about his availability for the marquee tournament. Sundar’s absence leaves a significant void in India’s squad, particularly in the spin-bowling all-rounder department.
India has always relied on players who can contribute in multiple facets of the game, and Sundar’s ability to bowl in the powerplay, chip in with economical overs, and add valuable runs down the order makes him a rare asset. With his place in jeopardy, selectors will need to identify suitable replacements who can bring similar value to the team. With his place in jeopardy, who can fill in for the all-rounder? Let’s take a look.
The young leg spinner from Rajasthan has made shockwaves in the IPL and was once considered as the successor of Yuzvendra Chahal in India’s squad. However, his international career never took off the way he would have wanted.
That being said, the 25-year-old is back in recognition after being selected in the current Indian T20I squad against New Zealand as Washington’s injury replacement. Getting a game in the series might be tough, especially with the team opting for the trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy as the first choice. However, if there’s an injury concern during the series, Bishnoi will get his due and could be in contention to board the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 bus as Washington’s injury replacement.
Shahbaz Ahmed’s international career has lasted for only 5 games (3 ODIs and 2 T20Is). He hasn’t got a long rope in the Indian team, and his latest appearance in the Blues came after the third T20I against South Africa, when Axar Patel’s illness forced him out of the squad. Ahmed came as an injury replacement for the last two games of the series, but couldn’t get a game.
Ahmed, the 31-year-old all-rounder, is almost a like-for-like replacement for Washington Sundar, but with a different bowling arm. He is a capable batter who can crack some lusty blows lower down the order and is a more than handy left-arm spinner. Shahbaz is one of the apt replacements for Washington Sundar in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad.
Riyan Parag is one of the most consistent performers for Assam in the domestic circuit. The 24-year-old had one breakthrough season in the IPL in 2024 for the Rajasthan Royals, where he scored above 500 runs, but has nothing much to show in his IPL resume apart from that season. He has played an ODI and 9 T20Is for India and has impressed more with the ball rather than the bat.
In his only ODI appearance against Sri Lanka, Parag scored 15 but took 3 scalps with the ball. In 9 T20I appearances, he has scored 106 runs from 6 innings with a strike rate of 151.42 and claimed 4 wickets with the ball. A guy who is a better batter compared to Washington Sundar in the shortest format of the game and more than handy with the ball, Parag could well be on the BCCI selection committee radar to book a berth in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 express.
Here is the current T20 World Cup 2026 squad of Team India,
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vc), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan (WK)