IND vs NZ: Ayush Badoni earns maiden India call-up as Washington Sundar ruled out injured

Indian team all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remaining matches against New Zealand due to injury. Ayush Badoni has been included in the team in his place.

Washington Sundar Replacement, India vs New Zealand: Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remaining ODI matches against New Zealand due to injury. Sundar experienced a sudden sharp pain in his left lower rib while bowling in the first ODI played at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. He had to leave the field and was sent for a scan.

Ayush Badoni Included in Team India

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that Sundar has suffered a side strain or rib injury and will not be able to participate in the remaining two matches of the series. This injury is a major setback for the team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, as Sundar is part of the World Cup squad.

Ayush Badoni has been included in the team as Sundar's replacement. The 26-year-old Badoni is a favourite player of coach Gautam Gambhir and plays domestic cricket for Delhi. He has been part of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is an off-spin bowler as well as a right-handed batsman. He has not yet played any international match for India.

What is Badoni's Record?

In List A cricket, he has scored 693 runs in 27 matches at an average of 36, and has also taken 18 wickets. However, his performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy has not been as impressive. He got opportunities in 5 matches, where he took 4 wickets, but could only manage 16 runs in three innings with the bat.

Badoni has shown excellent form in First-Class cricket. He has scored 1681 runs at an average of around 58 and a strike rate of 83, including several centuries and a double century. He has also proven to be an explosive batsman in T20 cricket. He has scored 1788 runs in 96 T20 matches. Notably, he set a world record by hitting 19 sixes in a Delhi Premier League (DPL) match, where he scored 165 runs in just 55 balls with the help of 8 fours and 19 sixes.