Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of England ODI series; replacement announced

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In a significant development ahead of India’s three-match ODI series against England, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been forced to make a change to the squad following an injury setback to one of its promising all-rounders.

With India set to begin the 50-over series on July 14 after concluding the ongoing T20I assignment in England, the team management has acted swiftly to ensure the balance of the squad remains intact. The latest update comes as India continue their preparations for an important stretch of white-ball cricket that also includes a T20I tour of Zimbabwe later this month.

On July 6, the BCCI confirmed that Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the upcoming three-match ODI series against England after sustaining a left quadriceps injury during the third ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai. The all-rounder is currently undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence, with no official timeline announced for his return to competitive cricket.

To fill the vacancy, the Men’s Selection Committee has named Shivam Dube as Reddy’s replacement for the ODI series. Dube, who is already part of India’s squad for the ongoing five-match T20I series against England, will remain with the team for the 50-over fixtures beginning on July 14 in Birmingham.

Reddy’s injury has already forced him to miss the T20I series against Ireland and England, and he has also been ruled out of the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. His continued absence is a setback for India, considering the all-rounder’s growing importance in the national setup across white-ball formats.

The updated Indian ODI squad for the England series includes:

Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Shivam Dube.

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Dube’s inclusion gives the Mumbai all-rounder a valuable opportunity to re-establish himself in India’s ODI setup. Although he has become a regular feature in India’s T20I plans and was part of the country’s two successful T20 World Cup campaigns, opportunities in the 50-over format have been limited due to intense competition for all-rounder spots.

The left-handed batter has represented India in only four ODIs since making his debut in 2019, with his last appearance coming against Sri Lanka in Colombo in August 2024. Having already been with the squad in England for the ongoing T20I series, Dube’s transition into the ODI group is expected to be seamless.

Following the conclusion of the England ODIs, Dube is also expected to travel to Zimbabwe for the three-match T20I series beginning on July 23. With Reddy sidelined indefinitely, the upcoming ODIs present an excellent opportunity for Dube to strengthen his case as a reliable seam-bowling all-rounder in India’s 50-over plans.

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