Nitish Reddy Ruled Out of England Tour Through Injury

India’s preparations for their upcoming white-ball tours of Ireland and England have suffered another setback, with promising all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out after aggravating a left leg injury. His absence comes shortly after the team had already lost star all-rounder Hardik Pandya to injury, leaving the selectors with another significant gap to fill ahead of a demanding international schedule.

Reddy had been identified by the Indian team management as a suitable replacement for Hardik following the latter’s withdrawal from both series. However, the young pace-bowling all-rounder has now been forced to withdraw himself after medical assessments confirmed that his injury requires an extended period of rehabilitation.

The problem first emerged during the opening One-Day International against Afghanistan in Dharamshala, where Reddy experienced discomfort while bowling. As a precaution, he was rested for the second ODI in Lucknow in the hope that the injury would settle without requiring a lengthy break.

He returned for the third and final match of the series in Chennai, where he bowled six overs and conceded 42 runs. Although he completed the match, the discomfort resurfaced afterwards, prompting further evaluation by the team’s medical staff. The decision was subsequently taken to remove him from the squads for both the Ireland and England tours to avoid worsening the injury.

Reddy is now expected to spend at least a month undergoing rehabilitation at the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The rehabilitation programme will focus on ensuring a complete recovery before he resumes competitive cricket.

His immediate target will be to regain full fitness in time for India’s tour of Sri Lanka in August, where the team is scheduled to play a two-match Test series. Returning in peak physical condition before that assignment has become the priority for both the player and the medical staff.

Despite widespread reports of his withdrawal, the Indian cricket board has yet to issue an official announcement confirming Reddy’s absence from the Ireland and England series.

India’s white-ball campaign begins with two Twenty20 Internationals against Ireland on 26 and 28 June. The team will then travel to England for a five-match Twenty20 International series starting on 1 July, followed by a three-match One-Day International series beginning on 14 July. With both Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy unavailable, India’s selectors may now be required to identify another all-round option as they finalise the squads for the two tours.