The Indian cricket team has suffered a major setback ahead of their upcoming limited-overs games in the tour of Ireland and England. Promising young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of both these tours after being down with a quadriceps injury. The Indian cricket board has named Mumbai’s exciting young player, Suryansh Shedge, as his replacement in the T20I squad.
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| Image Credits: BBC |
The injury originally came up during the first match of the
recent series against Afghanistan. While the team management initially hoped
the discomfort was minor and rested him for the second match. Reddy returned to
play for the third game in Chennai. Unfortunately, bowling six overs in the 3rd
ODI against Afghanistan made the injury worse. A scan later revealed swelling
and a muscle tear in his thigh, forcing the medical staff to sideline him for
an expected period of around 4 weeks.
Reddy’s absence leaves a huge gap in India's team balance.
With fellow star all-rounder Hardik Pandya also out of action due to a
lingering leg injury, the team is suddenly short on reliable fast bowlers who
can also bat effectively. The 23-year-old Reddy had been expected to play a
vital role across the two matches in Ireland and the full limited-overs series
in England, which includes five T20Is and three one-day international matches.
Instead of flying to Dublin, Reddy has been directed to
report to the cricket board's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru where he will
undergo rehabilitation program of at least four weeks, putting him in a race
against time to get fit ahead of India's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August.
In his place, Suryansh Shedge earns his first-ever call-up
to the senior national team. The 23-year-old middle-order batter and right-arm
bowler has been rewarded for great form in domestic cricket, scoring very
quickly in Mumbai's recent matches and impressing in the Indian Premier League.
While Shedge brings plenty of talent, filling the shoes of an in-form Reddy on
challenging English conditions will be a massive test for the newcomer.
