The spin-bowling allrounder suffered discomfort in his left lower rib during the opening ODI in Vadodara on Sunday. Although Sundar completed five overs for 27 runs, he was forced off the field midway through New Zealand's innings and did not return to field. Despite visible discomfort, he later came out to bat at No. 8 and helped steer India to a four-wicket win.
In a statement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Sundar had reported acute pain while bowling and will undergo further scans before the medical team seeks specialist advice. His availability for the upcoming five-match T20I series, which begins on January 21, is now uncertain.
Uncapped batter Ayush Badoni has been named as cover and will join the ODI squad ahead of the second match in Rajkot. The 26-year-old has played 27 List A games, averaging 36.47 with one century and five half-centuries. While primarily a middle-order batter, Badoni has also been working on his offspin, bowling regularly in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi. He also brings IPL experience from 56 appearances with Lucknow Super Giants.
India captain Shubman Gill confirmed after Sunday's match that Sundar had picked up a side strain and would be sent for scans. Team management later reiterated that the allrounder would miss the remaining ODIs in Rajkot and Indore.
Sundar's setback is the latest in a string of injuries for India. Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the ODI series last week due to a side strain, while Tilak Varma will miss the first three T20Is following groin surgery. With Sundar also part of India's 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup, selectors and team management will be monitoring his recovery closely.
After the ODI series concludes, India and New Zealand will switch to T20Is, with matches scheduled across Nagpur, Raipur, Guwahati, Visakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram. The series is expected to serve as a crucial build-up to the T20 World Cup, which India will co-host with Sri Lanka in February and March.
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