Uncapped Ayush Badoni was on Monday named as Washington Sundar’s replacement in India’s squad for the remaining two One Day Internationals against New Zealand after the all-rounder was ruled out with a rib injury.
Washington sustained the injury during the series opener in Vadodara on Sunday.
The 26-year-old bowled five overs for 27 runs before walking off midway through New Zealand’s innings and did not return to the field.
Despite the discomfort, he later came out to bat at No. 8 as India sealed a four-wicket victory.
“India all-rounder Washington Sundar reported an acute onset discomfort in his left lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on Sunday,” the BCCI said in a statement.
“He will undergo further scans, following which the BCCI Medical Team will seek expert opinion. Washington has been ruled out of the remaining two matches.
“The Men's Selection Committee has named Ayush Badoni as his replacement. Badoni will link up with the squad in Rajkot (the game is on Wednesday), the venue for the second ODI,” it added.
Badoni’s inclusion in the national squad means he will miss Delhi’s quarterfinal against Vidarbha in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
Primarily a batter who also bowls off-spin, the 26-year-old has captained Delhi and served as deputy to Rishabh Pant during the team’s most recent Vijay Hazare Trophy campaign.
Badoni rose to prominence through his performances for Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League, where he played under the mentorship of current India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
While he boasts an impressive first-class batting average of 57.96, his List A numbers are comparatively modest.
He averages 36.47 in 27 matches and has contributed more with the ball than the bat in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Delhi head coach Sarandeep Singh highlighted the effort Badoni has put into developing his off-spin over the past year.
“He bowls at least 30 balls in every practice session after batting in the nets. He realises that he needs to improve his off-spin to make a strong case as an all-rounder who can fit into the Indian team,” Sarandeep said.
“He has improved as a bowler considerably over the last 12 months. He is getting wickets for us regularly, he is a very smart cricketer and learns quickly.
“His off-spin turns sharply and he has a good carrom ball and arm ball as well,” the former India spinner told PTI.
Washington is the third Indian player to suffer an injury during the ongoing series. Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out after sustaining a side strain last week, while Tilak Varma will miss the first three T20 Internationals against New Zealand due to a groin injury that required surgery.
