Nitish Kumar Reddy’s International Debut Put on Hold Due to Hernia Injury

Nitish Kumar Reddy, the up-and-coming all-rounder, will have to wait for his international debut after being ruled out of India’s upcoming T20I tour of Zimbabwe due to a hernia injury. Shivam Dube will replace Reddy in the 15-member squad.

The 21-year-old Reddy had earned his maiden India call-up following an impressive Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad. During the tournament, he amassed 303 runs at a blistering strike rate of 142.92 and also delivered 13.1 overs, picking up 3 crucial wickets.

Reddy’s standout performances included a 64-run knock off just 37 balls against Punjab Kings, which helped Sunrisers Hyderabad post a challenging total of 182 and ultimately secure a narrow two-run victory. He also scored an unbeaten 42-ball 76 against Rajasthan Royals in another group game.

“Reddy has been a part of the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) talent development program, with the young club cricket star receiving close attention from the National Cricket Academy over the past year.”

Meanwhile, Shivam Dube, who is already a part of the India squad for the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, will now join the team in Zimbabwe. While his numbers in the tournament have been modest so far, Dube had a stellar IPL 2024 campaign with Chennai Super Kings, scoring 396 runs at a strike rate of 162.29 and emerging as the team’s second-highest run-scorer behind Ruturaj Gaikwad.

India will play five T20Is against Zimbabwe in Harare, starting July 6. With several senior players rested, the squad features newcomers such as Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, and Tushar Deshpande, in addition to Shubman Gill, who will lead the side.

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