Kris Srikkanth has questioned the selection of Washington Sundar as the T20I player for India’s three-game series in Afghanistan, saying that the all-rounder should first prove his match fitness playing competitive cricket. From the point of view of the former India opener, returning from an injury rehabilitation programme should not automatically make you fit into the national side without sufficient evidence of your level of international success, he said.
Washington Sundar has been named in India’s squad for Afghanistan T20I series after recovering from a hamstring injury. The three-match series starts on September 13, with the other two games on September 15 and September 17. All three games will be played at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi.
Sundar has been brought in because he has not played cricket in a while. The all-rounder is recovering from his injury and is expected to be back in the team. But Srikkanth has questioned whether the player is fit enough for the physical demands of international cricket.
Srikkanth on his YouTube channel voiced his concern about Sundar's return and said the player should have played competitive matches before being selected for the national team.
“He is good in Tests but didn’t play in Sri Lanka. How is he fit now, in two weeks? He has not proved his match fitness, so what is the use? You must play some matches at some level to show your fitness before being picked for India,” Srikkanth said.
The former India captain and chief selector said that medical clearance alone was not enough for a player to return to international cricket. Match fitness and medical fitness, in his view, are two different things, especially for a player returning from injury and recovering from a long break from the game.
Srikkanth argued that playing domestic or other competitive matches would give the selectors more information about when a player is ready to return. Competitive cricket tests a player’s movement, stamina, reflexes and ability to perform under pressure, so it is an important stage in the recovery process.
"You can't just play with a doctor's certificate. Washington Sundar seems to be injured after every two or three series,” Srikkanth said.
Washington Sundar’s latest injury came in India’s third ODI against England in July, when he suffered a hamstring problem. Sundar was rehabbed at the Centre of Excellence to regain his full fitness after that.
The Afghanistan series might now bring him back to competitive international cricket. His selection indicates the Indian team management and selectors think he is ready to return, although Srikkanth’s comments have brought fresh attention to the issue of match fitness.
Sundar is an all-round specialist for India even though he has the ability to play in both the bat and ball and his off-spin bowling will provide the team with more tactical options and his batting will give depth in the lower and middle order.
But Srikkanth believes the team should be cautious when bringing players back from injury. His criticism is a reflection of the wider debate in cricket about managing player workloads and ensuring that injured players are not rushed back into high-intensity competition.
India has selected a strong squad for the Afghanistan T20I series with several players in the batting, all-round and bowling departments. Shreyas Iyer, Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are among the batting options available to the team.
The all-round team includes Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar. With many versatile players, India has much flexibility in deciding the balance of their playing eleven.
India’s bowling unit also features spin and pace options. Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi are specialist spinners, and Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana strengthen the pace attack.
The Afghanistan series will see India try out different combinations and assess how well suited they are for international assignments. For Washington Sundar, the series will be very important as it provides him with an opportunity to prove fitness and a chance of moving himself back on track after his injury layoff.
Whether Sundar plays all three games or is managed carefully remains to be seen. His performance, fitness level and workload in the series are likely to be monitored by Indian team management.
Srikkanth’s criticism has added another talking point ahead of the series. While the selectors have shown confidence in Sundar by including him in the squad, the former India star has made his position clear: players returning from injuries should demonstrate their match fitness before getting an international call-up.
The Afghanistan T20Is now provide the best answer. If Sundar performs well and gets to the last of the series without fitness problems, his selection will be justified by his performance. But the debate around player fitness and selection will continue as India is on the go with a busy international cricket schedule.
