Nitish Kumar Reddy Misses Third ODI Against Australia due to Injury
All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will not play in the third and final One Day International (ODI) against Australia in Sydney on Saturday, October 25. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the 22-year-old sustained an injury to his left quadriceps while fielding during the second ODI in Adelaide.
With Nitish unavailable, India has brought in Kuldeep Yadav for the deciding match, while Prasidh Krishna has taken Arshdeep Singh’s place in the lineup.
The young player’s career has been hampered by injuries. Earlier this year, he returned home early from the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy due to a severe knee injury suffered in a gym session before the fourth Test at Lord’s.
Nitish had recovered well to participate in the home Test series against the West Indies and was chosen for the Australian tour, filling in for Hardik Pandya, who remains out due to an injury from the Asia Cup.
He made his ODI debut in the first match of the series in Perth and also played in the second ODI. However, concerns have now arisen regarding his status for the upcoming T20I series due to his latest injury issue.
According to the BCCI, “Nitish Kumar Reddy sustained a left quadriceps injury during the second ODI in Adelaide and is unavailable for the third ODI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring him daily.”
Nitish’s battle with injuries began shortly after his first IPL season in 2023. However, he made a strong comeback in IPL 2024, playing 13 matches for the SunRisers Hyderabad, scoring 303 runs and taking two wickets.
Following the IPL, he was set to join the team for a tour of Zimbabwe but missed it due to a sports hernia. He then made his international debut in a T20I series against Bangladesh before playing in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he made his Test debut in Australia.
The Indian team management sees Nitish as a promising all-rounder for all formats. Given the physical demands of modern cricket, the BCCI will keep a close watch on his recovery and workload.
It is uncertain whether he will be fit in time to play in the T20I series, which starts on October 28.
