'You can't just play with a doctor's certificate' - Srikkanth questions Sundar's Afghanistan T20I selection

Srikkanth Calls Out Sundar's Afghanistan T20I Pick – "You Can't Just Play With a Doctor's Certificate"

Washington Sundar's name on India's T20I squad for the Afghanistan series (Sep 13, 15, 17 in New Delhi) is conditional, and former opener Kris Srikkanth isn't mincing words.

Here's the situation: Sundar has been on the sidelines since July 17, tearing his hamstring running a single in the 33rd over during Cardiff's ODI. No competitive cricket since. Not the Sri Lanka Tests, nothing. And now he's back in the squad—pending fitness clearance.

Srikkanth's critique is sharp and fair:

> "He has not proved his matchfitness so what is the use? You must play some matches at some level to show your fitness before being picked for India. You can't just play with a doctor's certificate."

The ex-opener also flagged a concerning pattern—Sundar seems to pick up injuries every couple of series—and pointed to his whiteball struggles. Smashed in Ireland and England, lost his rhythm in the shorter formats despite a smooth transition to Test success.

Bottom line: A doctor's certificate isn't match fitness. You have to prove it on the pitch.

Same fitness clause applies to Bumrah, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Harshit Rana—all named in Shreyas Iyer's XI, all pending assessments before the series kicks off.

Source: Crictracker