Nitish Reddy Ruled Out of Ireland and England Tours Due to Injury

India have suffered a major setback ahead of their tours of Ireland and England, with pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of both assignments because of injury. The setback is expected to keep him out of action for at least a month.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Reddy will undergo rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The board aims to have him fully fit in time for the proposed two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August.

Reddy sustained the injury during the ODI series against Afghanistan. He first experienced discomfort in his left thigh while bowling in the opening ODI in Dharamsala, which led to him being rested for the second match in Lucknow. However, he returned for the third and final ODI in Chennai, where he bowled six overs. After the match, he again reported discomfort, and subsequent medical assessments confirmed the extent of the injury.

Reddy’s absence further deepens India’s concerns in the pace-bowling all-rounder department. Earlier, Hardik Pandya was also ruled out of the same tours after aggravating an existing leg injury during a post-IPL conditioning session. No timeline has yet been set for his return.

If the selectors decide to name a replacement for Reddy, Suryansh Shedge could be considered as a like-for-like option. The all-rounder recently impressed with the bat in the India A tri-series in Sri Lanka, although his performances with the ball were less convincing. Shivam Dube and Harshit Rana are also among the options being discussed, though they are primarily a batter and a bowler respectively.

India are scheduled to play two T20 Internationals against Ireland on June 26 and 28 before travelling to England for a five-match T20I series followed by a three-match ODI series. The Ireland series will mark India’s first T20I assignment since winning the T20 World Cup, with newly appointed captain Shreyas Iyer set to lead the side.