Washington Sundar is unlikely to travel to Sri Lanka as he continues recovering from a hamstring injury
BCCI may not name a replacement, and a final call on Sundar is expected after another fitness assessment next week
India's injury concerns continue to mount, with Jasprit Bumrah ruled out and Akash Deep still unavailable due to a back injury
India's injury concerns ahead of the upcoming Test series in Sri Lanka may have deepened, with all-rounder Washington Sundar reportedly unlikely to travel with the squad as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.
According to The Times of India (TOI), the BCCI's Centre of Excellence (CoE) and the Indian team management are adopting a cautious approach with Sundar's rehabilitation, especially after a series of recent injury setbacks involving several Indian players.
The report said the all-rounder, who was selected only for the second Test of the Sri Lanka tour, has been recovering at the CoE since suffering the injury during the second ODI in Cardiff.
A BCCI source told TOI that Sundar's chances of making the tour are currently minimal.
"At this moment, the chances of Washington going to Sri Lanka are very slim. The team management has been told to plan accordingly. The BCCI medical team is wary of pushing him into a Test match. There have been a few instances where players have broken down immediately after recovering from an injury," the source said.
The report added that the selectors were aware that Sundar's fitness would be uncertain when they included him for only the second Test.
"Washington was picked only for the second Test, knowing it would be touch-and-go for him to gain full fitness. He hasn't played much after sustaining the injury in England last month. His workload is being carefully increased," the source added.
TOI further reported that the Indian selectors are not expected to announce a replacement even if Sundar is eventually ruled out.
If he recovers sufficiently, he could still join the touring party as an additional squad member, although the management will first evaluate whether it makes sense to send him to Sri Lanka without any recent match practice.
"Washington will be the 16th member if he links up with the team. It needs to be assessed if it will be worthwhile to send him for a Test match without any game time. A thorough assessment will be done next week, which will include how the team is placed in Sri Lanka," the source said.
Sundar's situation comes at a time when India are already dealing with multiple injury concerns. Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the Sri Lanka Test series after failing to recover from the knee injury he sustained during the ODI series in England.
According to TOI, the CoE had been attempting to gradually increase Bumrah's bowling workload ahead of the tour, but the medical staff decided that he would not be ready in time for the series.
"The CoE was working on increasing Bumrah's workload before the Test series in Sri Lanka. It was felt that he would not be ready in time. It has been a long time since he has bowled in longer formats for a while. The CoE is very careful about him. They haven't given any timeline on him. Anyway, Indian cricket may have to now start getting ready for life without Bumrah especially in the longer formats after next year," the source told TOI.
India are scheduled to begin their Test campaign in Sri Lanka later this month, and the final decision on Sundar's participation is expected after a detailed fitness assessment next week.
