One of the players who is in India’s long-term plan across all the formats, Nitish Kumar Reddy, has received a setback. The Andhra Pradesh all-rounder is reportedly out of the upcoming T20 international series against Ireland. The news is that his issue in the left quadriceps has aggravated, and he won’t be taking part in the two T20Is against Ireland that will be played in Belfast on June 26 and 28. With this, the following tour of England is also in jeopardy as far as Nitish Kumar Reddy is concerned.
Setback for Ntisish Kumar Reddy
As per Sports Tak, Nitish Reddy’s MRI scans revealed swelling with fibre disruption in the left quadriceps. For further assessment, he has been advised to check into the BCCI Centre of Excellence, where the BCCI takes care of all players under injury cloud.
Interestingly, the left thigh issue created a problem for Reddy in the recent Afghanistan series. After playing the opening ODI, where he bowled superbly and was part of a wholesome press conference moment, NKR missed the following ODI in Lucknow. We got to know that he is struggling with a niggle, and the management took a cautious approach, replacing him with Yashasvi Jaiswal in the starting lineup.
Although Reddy returned quickly and played the last ODI in Chennai, the injury has been aggravated untimely. India have already lost Varun Chakaravarthy for the Ireland T20Is. Now, Reddy will miss the two T20Is as well.
India squad for Ireland T20Is
Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Ishan Kishan (WK), Shivam Dube, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prasidh Krishna.
Reddy out of IND vs ENG series too?
There’s also uncertainity about his availability for the ensuing white-ball tour of England too. Right after two T20 matches against Ireland, the India vs England series beckons (from July 1). Meanwhile, the Sports Tak report suggests that Reddy may be out for the next three to four weeks. This means he is most likely not to feature in the England T20Is as well.
With India keeping Hardik Pandya out of T20Is right now due to focus on ODIs, Reddy was supposed to be a genuine option in the T20I setup, especially in overseas conditions. Now, India may have to name a replacement for him. Suryansh Shegde could be a good pick, with him impressing in recent India A tri-series win.
Meanwhile, this setback also puts Reddy’s involvement in the India vs England ODIs under a threat too. Only a couple of days ago, the BCCI named India’s strong squad for the three ODIs against England, where Reddy was the only pace-bowling all-rounder. Pandya wasn’t selected, as he failed to fully recover and didn’t show signs that he can bowl a full quota of ten overs right now.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind, India are intentionally nurturing Reddy for a major role. After all, he’s what India have as a closest player with the rare attributes of being a quality batter alongside the ability to bowl medium pace when required. Recently, Reddy impressed everyone with his all-round performance for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at IPL 2026 as well, where his pace was vastly improved. India would hope that he comes out of injury questions quickly and be part of the huge white-ball series that lies ahead.
India vs Ireland – T20I schedule
| Match | Date | Venue | Time (IST) | Local Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | June 26, 2026 (Friday) | Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast | 6:00 PM IST | 1:30 PM Local |
| 2nd T20I | June 28, 2026 (Sunday) | Civil Service Cricket Club, Belfast | 6:00 PM IST | 1:30 PM Local |
