India has been hit with a second injury scare ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup after Tilak Varma’s concern as Washington Sundar was ruled out of the ongoing series against New Zealand after suffering an injury during the first ODI at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara on Sunday (January 11) which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed means he will miss the second and third game.
Ayush Badoni has been named as the replacement and is set to make his India debut after getting a maiden call-up to the Indian team in any format. However, there remains concern over Sundar, who is also part of the Indian team for the T20I series and the 10th edition of the mega event, where India are hoping to defend their title on home soil.
BCCI revealed that has a rib injury, and expert opinion will be sought. This is a worrying sign for Indian fans and will force the decision makers to think about replacing him in the squad for the T20 World Cup.
Most spin-bowling all-rounders in India are left-arm spinners like Krunal Pandya, Shahbaz Ahmed, and Ankul Roy but with Axar Patel already in the squad, they are unlikely to turn in that direction.
Five Players Who Can Replace India In The T20 World Cup Squad
1) Riyan Parag – If India is looking for an all-rounder who can bowl off-spin, Riyan Parag fits the bill. His batting, many will argue, is an upgrade over Sundar’s with the ability to strike big at will. While not as reliable a bowler as Sundar, he has the ability to pick wickets and complete his quota of overs. However, there are injury concerns around him as he has not played any domestic cricket since 6th December. Moreover, he has not bowled in a competitive match since 13th November. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) star has also not played for India in any format since October 2024.
2) Ayush Badoni – Uncapped has replaced Sundar in the ODI team, and a similar change in the T20I team will not come as a surprise. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) star is someone who is a batting all-rounder who can also bowl some handy off-spin. If the team are looking for a player of that mould, he is an option that stands out if Parag is also not fit.
3) Vipraj Nigam – If India is looking for a bowling all-rounder like Sundar as a replacement, who is a handy batter at number seven or eight, they will have to look beyond an off-spinner. However, they can opt for Vipraj Nigam, who is a potent wrist-spinner and a dangerous lower-order batter. India’s world-class spin attack does not have a right-arm wrist-spinner, which means the Delhi Capitals (DC) player will only add to the versatility of the bowling unit.
4) Nitish Kumar Reddy – If India wants an all-rounder from within their tried and tested group, Nitish Kumar Reddy could get a look-in. With three spinners already in the mix, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) star could be tried. Although the team already has two pace-bowling options in Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, both are set to be vital parts of the playing XI, and hence, a reserve option will not do harm.
5) Shreyas Iyer – With three spinners (Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel) already in the squad alongside three all-rounders (Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Axar Patel), India could opt for a specialist batter instead of an all-rounder, especially as both Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma can bowl spin.
The obvious name that stands out is that of Shreyas Iyer, whose exclusion from the T20I team has raised questions. The Indian ODI team vice-captain is fit again, and this will increase the clamour to include him in the shortest format squad. Moreover, this can mean India can give Tilak time to get fit even if he has to miss the initial few matches. With concerns over Suryakumar Yadav’s form alongside the injury to the left-hander, India can strengthen their middle-order by including Shreyas.
This is something Australia opted to do in the 2023 World Cup, where Marnus Labuschagne replaced Ashton Agar, which allowed them to have an extra batter in the mix as Travis Head recovered from his injury and returned mid-way through the tournament.