India's T20 World Cup preparations have suffered a setback as all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand due to a side strain. This injury casts a shadow over his availability for the T20 World Cup, scheduled to begin on February 7.

Sundar initially felt discomfort in his left lower rib area while bowling during the first ODI against New Zealand in Vadodara. Consequently, he was ruled out of the remaining two ODIs. Now, it has been determined that he will not recover in time for the T20 series, which commences in Nagpur on January 21.

A BCCI official confirmed the news, stating, "Washington Sundar has been ruled out from T20 series vs NZ due to side strain". The medical team has advised Sundar to rest for two weeks, after which he will head to the BCCI's Centre of Excellence to begin his recovery.

Despite the injury, Sundar displayed resilience in the first ODI, coming out to bat and contributing a crucial partnership with KL Rahul that helped India secure victory. Rahul acknowledged Sundar's contribution after the match, revealing that he was unaware of Sundar's inability to run properly due to the injury.

With the T20 World Cup on the horizon, the team management is taking a cautious approach with Sundar's recovery and didn't want to risk him in the series against New Zealand. While there was an initial expectation that Sundar might participate in the later stages of the T20I series, he will not feature in any of the matches. However, there remains a possibility that he could join the team later with the T20 World Cup in mind.

Sundar's absence adds to India's selection concerns, as Tilak Varma is also expected to miss the first three T20Is following testicular surgery. Ayush Badoni has already been named as Sundar's replacement in the ODI squad, marking his maiden India call-up.