“I told myself I’d never play football again” - Washington Sundar reflects on injury woes ahead of 1st IND vs NZ T20I 

Team India all-rounder Washington Sundar has revealed that he decided never to play football during warm-ups after he broke his ankle doing the same back in 2018.

Sundar is part of the Indian squad that is in New Zealand for a three-match T20I series, which begins with the opening match in Wellington on Friday, November 18. He is making a comeback to the T20I squad after last having played a match in the format for the country back in March 2021.

The off-spinner was part of the Indian squad that faced South Africa at home in a three-match ODI series in October. Speaking to the host broadcaster ahead of the first T20I against the Kiwis, Sundar opened up on his warm-up routine. He stated:

“I broke my ankle playing football before a game once, so I told myself I’d never play football again. There are plenty of other things I can do instead for a warm-up, go for a jog, stretch etc.”

The Tamil Nadu cricketer suffered the injury while playing football during a training session in Malahide prior to the two-match T20I series against Ireland in 2018. Having missed matches against Ireland, he was subsequently ruled out of the entire limited-overs leg of the tour of England.

Sundar has had his fair share of injuries over the years. He was also ruled out of the Zimbabwe ODIs in August after hurting his shoulder during his county stint with Lancashire. Speaking about his recovery, the off-spinner asserted:

“I have spent a lot of time at the NCA, my stint at Lancashire was amazing before I got injured, so I’ve worked a lot on my body, particularly my shoulder.”

In a career affected by injuries and fitness issues, Sundar has so far played four Tests, six ODIs, and 31 T20Is for India.

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“New Zealand is one of my favorite countries” - Washington Sundar

Asked about his experience of being in New Zealand, the all-rounder described the country as one of his favorite places. He said:

“New Zealand is one of my favorite countries. The weather and the people are really pleasant. Since we got here, we spent a lot of time going to restaurants and walking to shops. We enjoy doing those things, enjoy our privacy out here.”

Meanwhile, the first start of the first T20I between India and New Zealand in Wellington has been delayed due to rain.