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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 Rahul finished on 29*, sealing the chase in the 49th over
- 2🏆 Sundar battled a side strain to score a run-a-ball 7
- 3💡 Rahul admitted he didn’t know Sundar was unable to run
- 4🔮 Sundar’s injury-enforced exit reshapes India’s ODI plans vs NZ
"The all-rounder sustained a side-strain while bowling and left the field. He was subsequently seen in discomfort while batting during India's chase"
What looked like a routine lower-order partnership in Vadodara was anything but, as KL Rahul later revealed that Washington Sundar was batting through a serious side strain in the first India vs New Zealand ODI.
Sundar had already left the field after bowling 5 overs in the first innings, clearly hampered by discomfort in his side. Yet he still walked out at No. 8, after Harshit Rana, and scratched his way to a run-a-ball 7 in a vital stand with Rahul as India hunted down a 300-plus chase.
Rahul’s honest admission after sealing the chase
After finishing the job in the 49th over with two fours and a six in a composed unbeaten 29, Rahul admitted he hadn’t fully grasped how restricted Sundar was while running between the wickets.
"I didn't know he (Washington) couldn't run. I knew he had a bit of an injury in the first innings, but I wasn't aware of the extent," — KL Rahul
Rahul explained that with the asking rate around a run-a-ball and India well-placed, there was no need for Sundar to take risks. The offspinner focused on rotating strike, doing just enough to keep Rahul on strike and the chase under control.
For Indian fans, the partnership underlined two things: Rahul’s growing authority as a finisher in ODIs and Sundar’s willingness to fight through pain for the team cause. The medical update that followed – ruling Sundar out of the rest of the series – only added weight to how courageous that seven-run cameo really was.
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