India’s veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane believes it will be difficult for Washington Sundar to get into the team’s playing XI in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Varun Chakravarthy will be India’s first-choice spinner, whereas the team also has the services of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel.
The Indian team had played with a solitary main pacer in the Asia Cup and it would be interesting to note their tactics in the T20I showpiece. Patel, being the vice-captain of the team, will be ahead of Sundar in the pecking order, whereas Yadav is known for his wicket-taking abilities.
Sundar can definitely contribute with the bat but he can also be a defensive option with the ball.
Ajinkya Rahane said on his YouTube Channel, “Washington Sundar, again, he can play. He can play any match, but it depends on what the pitch is like, what the opposition’s combination is, and the conditions you are playing in. All these things matter a lot because you already have Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakaravarthy. All three are different kinds of spinners.”
“So it will be very difficult for Washington Sundar, as an all-rounder, to get into the team. But as I said, looking at the team combination is very important, and he could still start in the playing XI. Again, he is a very good option to have in the squad. He is a batting all-rounder who can give you maybe two overs, and in batting as well, he is very flexible and can bat at any position,” he added.
Sundar has scalped 51 wickets in 58 T20Is and has scored 254 runs, including one fifty.
On the other hand, Rahane said India’s rookie pacer Harshit Rana is a confident player and has delivered with the new ball in white-ball formats.
“Harshit Rana, I feel, is a very confident player. He has a lot of belief in his abilities. Recently, we have seen that he has picked up wickets with the new ball for the team. Whether it is the 50-over format or the T20 matches we have seen, including in the IPL, he gets wickets in the first or second over. That is a very good quality. If you have a fast bowler who can get you a wicket in the first or second over, that breakthrough and that momentum is something every team looks for.”
India will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA on February 7.
