IND vs ENG: Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rinku Singh ruled out of T20Is, replacements announced for upcoming matches

New Delhi: All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the ongoing five-match T20I series against England after sustaining a side strain injury during a practice session ahead of the second T20I in Chennai. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that Reddy will undergo further management at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The news comes just hours before the second match of the series.

Meanwhile, left-handed batter Rinku Singh experienced a lower back spasm while fielding during the first T20I against England on January 22. He is recovering well and is under continuous observation by the BCCI Medical Team. However, as a precaution, he has been excluded from the second and third T20Is against England.

The Senior Selection Committee has now added Shivam Dube and Ramandeep Singh to the squad. The BCCI has not shared any further details about the left-handed opening batter Abhishek Sharma, who injured his ankle during a practice session at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday. Therefore, it seems that Abhishek’s injury may not be too severe.

Shivam Dube to join squad in Rajkot:
Shivam Dube will be linking up with the squad in Rajkot ahead of the third T20I on Tuesday, January 28. India secured a dominant win in the first T20I against England, successfully chasing down a target of 133 in just 13 overs.

Since the start of 2024, India has maintained an impressive record in T20Is. Suryakumar Yadav has yet to lose a T20I series since taking over as full-time captain, replacing Rohit Sharma. Under Suryakumar’s leadership, India triumphed over Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and South Africa in 2024. Axar Patel was named vice-captain ahead of the England series.

Mohammed Shami made his return to the India squad after being out for over a year due to a knee injury. However, he was not included in the playing XI for the first T20I, and it remains to be seen if he will feature in later matches in the series.

India’s updated squad for the T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Axar Patel (VC), Sanju Samson (WK), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shivam Dube, Ramandeep Singh.