Washington not in India's squad for third ODI against England

Washington Sundar has been ruled out of India’s third ODI against England. Washington will not feature in the final ODI of the series vs England. India will be without his all-round option — handy off-spin and lower-order batting — for the third match. Reason not specified yet. Could be due to injury, rotation, or team combination. India go into the third ODI vs England without Washington Sundar, forcing a reshuffle in the spin/all-rounder slot.

Washington made 2 off 5 balls in India's loss at Sophia Gardens. During a break in the innings, he was seen getting his thigh strapped up by the physio and when he was dismissed, he left the field in visible discomfort.

"Washington's injury which he had when he ran his first run to mid-off. His hamstring, I think, it looks like a bad injury, and next ball he got out," India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said after the match.

Washington's importance Once a fringe player behind Ashwin and Jadeja, Washington has become a key all-rounder across formats. He won the 1st ODI vs England with a six that also brought up his fifty. Series is 1-1.Big gap to fillIndia value him for batting depth. There’s no like-for-like replacement in the touring squad. Other all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Hardik Pandya are also injured.

Possible XI changes for Lord's KL Rahul missed the 2nd ODI with illness. Ishan Kishan replaced him. If India go without Washington's overs: Both Rahul and Kishan could play. If they want spin cover: Kuldeep Yadav is the option. He struggled in IPL 2026 and has played just 1 of India’s last 13 matches across formats. With Washington out and no direct replacement, India must choose between extra batting with Rahul + Kishan, or bringing Kuldeep back in to balance the bowling for the series decider at Lord's.

Ashwin spoke about Kuldeep's struggle to get game time. "Come [the ODI World Cup in] South Africa, you will need Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Washy [Sundar]. Both of them [Axar and Washington] got fifties and saw us home [in the first ODI against England]. But I think there is place only for one of the two players in the future. I would love to see Kuldeep handed better treatment because he is a matchwinner."

Kuldeep is among the top 10 wicket-takers for India in ODIs, with 194 from 121 games. At his best, he is able to deceive both edges of the batter, whether they are right- or left-handed but his limitations as a batter has often cost him a place in the side.