IPL 2021: Washington Sundar ruled out of second leg

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has been dealt with a body blow as ace all-rounder Washington Sundar will not take part in the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL), scheduled to begin on September 19. Playing for Select County XI, the 21-year-old suffered a finger injury during a first-class match against India in Durham in July.

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He was hit on the finger by a bouncer by Mohammed Siraj that cut down his hopes of playing a Test match in England. Akash Deep, a state player from Bengal has been picked as a replacement for Sundar.

"The move reiterates the focus RCB has on grooming and nurturing young players as the team continues to develop exceptional talents and create a pathway for young talents to find their way into IPL and Indian Cricket," RCB said in a statement.

Sundar is one of the vital members of the RCB team and is often used in the middle overs by skipper Virat Kohli to restrict the run-flow. Also, his useful contributions lower down the order help RCB post competitive scores. He has so far played 42 matches, picking up 27 wickets at an astounding economy rate of below seven runs per over.

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Burst onto the scene in IPL by playing for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant, Sundar was roped in by the RCB for a whopping 3.2 crore in 2018 IPL auctions. Since then, he has solidified his reputation as one of the side’s mainstay in the team. He often forms a good spin combination with leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, and the duo’s economical overs put pressure on opposition.