All-rounder Washington Sundar is set to play in the County Championship for Lancashire so as to get some game time in red ball cricket as he continues to recover from the hand injury he sustained during the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). Sundar's participation in the IPL, in which he was playing his first season with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, was hampered due to the injury and he was not picked for India's subsequent five-match T20I series against South Africa.
He is also not part of the Indian squads for their upcoming T20I series in Ireland or for the postponed fifth Test against England which will be played next month.
Sundar is currently undergoing his rehabilitation after the injury at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, alongwith fast bowlers Deepak Chahar and T Natarajan. "Washington is nearing full fitness and he needs a lot of game time, which he will get only in red ball cricket. He is going to play for Lancashire and this exposure will do him a world of good," a BCCI source told PTI.
Meanwhile, Chahar who sustained injury during home series against West Indies in Kolkata, looked in good shape during his morning session at the NCA. "I am bowling four to five overs at one go as per my rehab programme right now. My recovery is going pretty well and I think it will take another four to five weeks for me to get match fit," Chahar told PTI after his rehab session.
The Rajasthan seamer admitted that it will not be possible for him to get fit by the time India play T20 series against England in the second week of July. "It's a step by step process as far as recovery is concerned. I don't think I will be fit for England T20s. Once I am match fit, I will need to play some club level games to check my fitness," Chahar said.
{{/usCountry}}The Rajasthan seamer admitted that it will not be possible for him to get fit by the time India play T20 series against England in the second week of July. "It's a step by step process as far as recovery is concerned. I don't think I will be fit for England T20s. Once I am match fit, I will need to play some club level games to check my fitness," Chahar said.
{{/usCountry}}India are scheduled to play three ODIs and five T20Is between July 22 and August 7 in West Indies and the tour could be Chahar's comeback vehicle.