Injured Sundar unlikely for Lord’s decider

India have suffered an injury setback ahead of the series-deciding third ODI against England, with all-rounder Washington Sundar likely to be ruled out of Sunday’s match at Lord’s after sustaining a hamstring injury during Thursday’s second ODI in Cardiff.

Washington appeared to injure himself while running between the wickets during India’s innings. He received treatment from the team physio after returning to the dressing room and batted on briefly before being dismissed for 2. The all-rounder was visibly uncomfortable as he walked off and did not take the field during England’s run chase.

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While the BCCI is yet to issue an official statement, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said that the injury is likely to keep Washington out of the final ODI.

“Washington’s injury which he had when he ran his first run to mid-off. His hamstring, I think, it looks like a bad injury, and next ball he got out,” Kotak said.

Washington’s absence leaves India with a selection dilemma for the Lord’s decider. The 25-year-old has become an important member of the ODI side, offering balance with both bat and ball. He played a decisive role in India’s victory in the opening ODI at Birmingham, scoring an unbeaten half-century and finishing the chase with a six.

India do not have a like-for-like replacement in the squad, especially with Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy already unavailable because of injuries.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is now the leading candidate to replace Washington if the team decides it needs an additional bowling option. Kuldeep has featured only once in India’s last 13 international matches across formats after an underwhelming IPL 2026 campaign.

If the management feels it can manage without Washington’s bowling, another option would be to bring KL Rahul back into the playing XI, provided he has recovered from the illness that ruled him out of the second ODI. Ishan Kishan, who replaced Rahul in Cardiff, could also retain his place, allowing India to field both wicketkeeper-batters.

Kuldeep remains one of India’s most successful ODI bowlers, with 194 wickets from 121 matches. Known for his ability to trouble both right and left-handed batters with his variations, the wrist-spinner has often found his place under threat because of his limited batting ability.

With the three-match series level at 1-1, India will hope to have the right combination in place as they look to clinch the series at Lord’s.