Washington Sundar ruled out of ODI series; Uncapped all-rounder earns first-ever India call-up
India suffer a setback as Washington Sundar is ruled out of the ODI series, with selectors handing a maiden national call-up to a young uncapped all-rounder.
Last Updated: 02.00 PM, Jan 12, 2026
Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remaining ODI matches against New Zealand and in his place, uncapped player Ayush Badoni gets a maiden call-up from the selectors. In the first ODI match, Sundar sustained an acute onset discomfort in his left lower rib area while bowling. While he did come out to bat, he struggled to take runs. Now, he is ruled out of the series as informed by BCCI.
Sundar will have to undergo further scans and then, the medical team will give a report regarding his fitness. Meanwhile, Badoni will join the Indian team in Rajkot. He is an incredible all-rounder, playing for Delhi in domestic cricket. Badoni also plays for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.
India’s updated squad for 2nd and 3rd ODIs: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ayush Badoni
Ayush Badoni's domestic season performance
The selection behind Ayush Badoni has shocked the fans since he hasn't performed in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. But, the young batter has scored half-centuries in the recently-concluded Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025. He has led Delhi in the Ranji Trophy and has played some quality cricket in red-ball matches.
It will be interesting to see if Ayush gets a chance to be in the playing XI since he has come in place of Washington Sundar, who was already in the team. The management has Nitish Reddy as an option to play in the second game as well.
Where to watch IND vs NZ matches?
Cricket fans in India can watch the India vs New Zealand matches from January 14 online on JioHotstar, via OTTplay Premium.