Why Did Riyan Parag Not Get Selected As Washington Sundar Replacement in IND vs NZ ODIs?
India faced a setback in the ongoing IND vs NZ ODI series after all-rounder Washington Sundar picked up an injury in the opener last night (January 11). Sundar could bowl only five overs before walking back to the dugout and came out to bat late at No.8 only when required and was looking uncomfortable.
After the game, skipper Shubman Gill confirmed that Washi had picked up a side strain and will go for scans, which evidently did not come back positive as India named Ayush Badoni as replacement today (January 12) for the remainder of the 50-over series by the BCCI. The official statement also clarified that Sundar had suffered an injury to his left lower rib area and will need to undergo further scans.
However, a fact that couldn’t be ignored was that Assam and India all-rounder Riyan Parag was not considered as a possible option, given that he is higher up in the pecking order compared to Ayush Badoni.
Riyan has not been a part of any Indian side since October 2024 and it is more unfortunate that he did not make the cut for ODIs, since he has dominated the format recently.
Riyan Parag has stellar numbers in List A
Speaking of his List A exploits, Riyan hit fifties in all three games he played for India A against Australia A last October. He struck 187 runs from three innings at a strike rate of 123. In the second game, India A were reeling at 17 for three when he walked in and hit 58 off 54.
Overall in List A, he has amassed close to 2k runs at an average over 40s, including five centuries and 11 fifties while also picking up 54 wickets in 48 innings.
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Why was Riyan Parag overlooked for IND vs NZ ODIs?
The reason behind Riyan not being in contention for a spot in the IND vs NZ ODIs is that the 24-year-old is currently nursing a shoulder injury, which also forced him to skip the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT 2025-26). Incidentally, this is now the third consecutive edition of the tournament where he is injured (ruled out of the 2023-24 season after one game).
Furthermore, he didn’t bowl in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT 2025-26) as well, which confirms that overlooking Riyan Parag was a natural call.
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