Mohammad Kaif Slams Gautam Gambhir For Risking Injured Washington Sundar

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif said the team management made a wrong decision by sending an injured Washington Sundar to bat during the first ODI against New Zealand.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has criticised the Indian team management for unnecessarily risking Washington Sundar, who suffered a rib injury during India’s four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first ODI in Vadodara. Kaif felt Sundar should not have been sent to bat ahead of the tailenders, especially with the match still delicately poised.

Sundar bowled five overs during New Zealand’s innings before leaving the field midway due to discomfort. Despite the injury, he returned to bat at No. 8 during India’s chase of 301. The situation demanded a run-a-ball, but Sundar was clearly struggling and could not run more than singles, even when shots were played into the deep.

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Kaif said that although the chase was largely under control, India made a poor decision that could have worsened Sundar’s injury and extended his recovery period.

“It was a wrong call to send an injured Washington Sundar to bat. If you needed a run-a-ball, you could’ve tried someone else ahead of an injured player. In a pressure situation, he wasn’t even able to run a double. Even though the match was under control, sending an injured player always carries the risk of aggravating the injury, which could extend the recovery period from a week to even a month. That was the wrong call,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Gautam Gambhir & Co. Slammed For Sundar Gamble

Sundar has since been ruled out of the remainder of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Kaif added that Sundar should have been sent in only if India had no other option available and cited a past example involving Shubman Gill to support his argument.

“You could’ve sent Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, or even Prasidh Krishna. Sundar should’ve been sent only when there was no other option left. When Shubman Gill got injured in the Kolkata Test against South Africa, he didn’t return to bat. It was a low-scoring match, and despite having a neck issue, 20–30 runs from his bat could’ve won India the game – but he didn’t bat. So, you’re protecting one player from further aggravation but not applying the same logic in Sundar’s case. His injury could’ve gotten worse,” he concluded.

Kaif’s remarks have sparked debate over player workload management and injury handling, with India already dealing with concerns ahead of the remaining matches in the series.