T20 WC: ‘I don’t see Washington Sundar playing in Delhi,’ says Bangar ahead of Namibia clash

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar believes Washington Sundar is unlikely to feature in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 fixture against Namibia in Delhi, even though the all-rounder has regained fitness.

India opened their campaign with a 29-run victory over the USA, but the batting unit endured a few nervy moments despite securing the win. As the team prepares for its next group stage encounter, attention has turned to the possible composition of the playing XI, particularly with Sundar back in the mix.

The off-spin bowling all-rounder, who has been recovering from a side strain and rib injury, participated in fielding drills during Tuesday’s practice session and later bowled to Tilak Varma alongside Kuldeep Yadav. He was also seen engaged in extended discussions with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar as the team management assessed his match readiness.

“It’s great news that Washington Sundar is going to join the team, because the Indian management has been patient with him and has a lot of confidence in his abilities. The fact that they persisted with him in the squad despite his unavailability at the start of the tournament shows they want to maintain a similar team combination. If, say for instance, a spin-bowling all-rounder is required, Washington Sundar can certainly come in. But I don’t see him playing in Delhi. I certainly see Jasprit Bumrah making it to the playing eleven, with the in-form Mohammed Siraj the one likely to miss out,” Bangar told JioStar while speaking on Sundar’s improved fitness and possible changes in the playing XI.

Bangar also advised India’s batters to remain confident in their approach despite the hiccups against the USA, stressing that their aggressive philosophy has brought consistent success in recent times.

“I don’t think Indian batters should overanalyse what happened at Wankhede against the USA, because the approach this Indian batting line-up plays with nowadays in T20 cricket is obviously fraught with risk. On days like that, when a couple of wickets fall, and you still want to keep going hard, you are bound to lose wickets in clusters. If there is one learning, it is to maybe slow down slightly, but not have too much of a doubt in your approach, because that fearless style has given you a lot of success. Keep backing your abilities and keep playing the way this Indian batting unit has approached T20 cricket over the last 18 months or so,” he said.

Highlighting the balance within the batting order, Bangar pointed to the blend of composure and attacking intent among key players.

“When I look at this Indian batting line-up, it has a great mix of maturity as well as fearlessness. Now, in terms of maturity, you have players who can adjust to the needs of the situation. Tilak Varma bats in that fashion, as do Surya and Hardik. So, if India find themselves in a similar position again, the onus may be on one of those three to steady the innings a little bit, while the batters around them continue to play the way they have been playing. That is something the team and the batting group might discuss going forward,” he added.

India will look to fine-tune their combinations and build momentum as they continue their campaign in the capital.

–IANS

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