Indian all-rounder Washington Sundar is out of the T20I series vs New Zealand with a side strain. Ravi Bishnoi replaces him, while Shreyas Iyer joins the squad for the first three matches, replacing the injured Tilak Varma.

Indian All-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand, starting on January 21. The development was confirmed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday.

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Earlier, Washington Sundar underwent scans after reporting an acute onset of discomfort in his lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, on 11 January. This was followed by an in-person consultation with an expert. He has been diagnosed with a side strain and advised rest for a few days, after which he will report to the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) for further management of his injury.

Iyer and Bishnoi Return to T20Is

The Men's Selection Committee of BCCI has named star leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi as Washington Sundar's replacement for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand.

Additionally, the Men's Selection Committee has added ace batter Shreyas Iyer to the T20I squad for the first three matches as a replacementfor the injured Tilak Varma.

Earlier, Varma underwent surgery for an abdominal issue in Rajkot. Varma was discharged from the hospital on Thursday morning and is scheduled to fly back to Hyderabad. He is currently stable and progressing well. Varma will resume physical training and gradually return to skill-based activities once his symptoms have fully resolved and his wound has healed satisfactorily.

India's updated T20I squad:

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Shreyas Iyer (first three T20Is), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice captain), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravi Bishnoi.

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