IPL 2021 : Washington Sundar ruled out of tournament,Akash Deep replaces him

RCB lead spinner Washington Sundar is ruled out of the second phase of IPL 2021 with a finger injury. Washington fractured his finger in a practice match during India’s ongoing test tour of England and was sent home immediately.

RCB took to Instagram on Monday ( August 30) wishing him a speedy recovery. The post was captioned, “Wishing you a speedy recovery and hope to see you in the Red and Gold very very soon, Washi! ❤️ #PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #IPL2021.”

Soon after Washington Sundar’s news of exit from IPL 2021 was confirmed in media, RCB released an official statement saying: “Royal Challengers Bangalore’s all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of the remainder of the Vivo IPL 2021 due to an impending finger injury. Akash Deep, a state cricketer from Bengal and net bowler with the franchise has been named as a replacement. 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.”

About Washington Sundar

Washington suffered an injury on his finger on the right hand when he was hit by a sharp lifter from Mohammed Siraj in the practice game between County Select XI and the Indians. He was subsequently taken for an X-Ray and the result confirmed a fracture. The off-spinning all-rounder has been with the RCB set-up since the start of the 2018 season.He had made his IPL debut in 2017 for Rising Pune Supergiants(RPS) under the captaincy of legendary MS Dhoni.Though he was selected as a replacement of India’s star spinner R Ashwin,the performances that Washington put in throughout the whole season were simply remarkable.This successful IPL season is what led the mega franchise RCB to go after him in the IPL Auction,being brought in at a staggering price of Rs 3.2 crores.

Sundar was RCB’s go-to bowler for the past five years. Kohli often used him in powerplays to contain runs since Sundar’s tight bowling gave no room for the batsman to free their arms. The Tamil Nadu all-rounder had impressed everyone and garnered attention in the Australia tour of India when he had scored a crucial fifty on his debut. The fifty had proved vital for India to secure the win at the Gabba.

Upcoming star Akash Deep

The 24-year-old Akash Deep made his T20 debut in March 2019 and has bagged 21 wickets at 16.35 in the shortest format of the game.His best haul of 4 for 35 came against Hyderabad in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy this year