Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand and the 2026 T20 World Cup, both of which begin next month. He is also uncertain to start. During the first ODI of the ongoing white-ball series against New Zealand, the all-rounder suffered a side strain. In India's four-wicket victory in Vadodara, he left the field after just five overs, but returned to bat and scored an unbeaten 7 off 7 balls. The BCCI stated that Washington had "reported an acute onset of discomfort in his left lower rib area while bowling" after the match, which resulted in his exclusion from the remaining three matches of the three-match series. The board has now asked him to go to the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru for further evaluation and rehabilitation after subsequent scans. Washington's participation in the upcoming home T20 World Cup is also in doubt, and the all-rounder is unlikely to fully recover before the tournament's February 7 start. On the opening day of the 20-team tournament, India, the defending champions, will face the United States in Mumbai. Ayush Badoni took Washington's place in the ODI team, but he should be back in the T20I team soon. In preparation for defending their title, India will play five Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand.