All-rounder Washington Sundar is yet to regain full fitness and the team management is undecided on whether to retain him in the squad for the T20 World Cup, which begins on Saturday. India open versus the USA in Mumbai.

Washington has been batting and bowling at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for short bursts, but whether he can handle the workload of batting and spending 20 overs on the field is not clear. The team management is awaiting a report from the COE and will then take a call.

It is understood that the team management is willing to include him in the side for the group stage and, if needed, he could be fielded from the Super Eight stage. But the final assessment from the COE will determine Washington’s fate. India will play a warm-up game against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday.

Washington had been ruled out of the T20I series against New Zealand after suffering an injury during the opening ODI in Vadodara.

“The all-rounder reported an acute onset of discomfort in his left lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara... He will undergo further scans, following which the BCCI Medical Team will seek expert opinion,” the BCCI said in a media release.

If Washington is unsure of regaining full fitness, a replacement could be sought. Ayush Badoni and Ravi Bishnoi are in the reckoning in such a scenario.

The team management, however, heaved a sigh of relief with Tilak Varma ticking all the boxes on his return to competitive cricket after a lower abdominal surgery.

He was part of the India A team, which comfortably defeated USA by 38 runs in a high-scoring warm-up game in Navi Mumbai on Monday. He made 38 off 23 balls.

For the national selection committee, head coach Gautam Gambhir and skipper Suryakumar Yadav, the priority was to check Tilak’s match-fitness, having completed a three-week ‘return to play’ protocol at the Centre of Excellence.

The team management will also have to decide on the Ishan Kishan-versus-Sanju Samson debate once Tilak returns to the playing XI. “The final call on Ishan Kishan-versus-Sanju Samson for the opener role will be revealed on February 7,” Surya had said in an interaction with the broadcaster.