Injured Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of India’s T20 series against Ireland, England

NEW DELHI: India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will miss the team’s Twenty20 International series against Ireland and England after suffering an injury, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Tuesday.

The BCCI said Reddy experienced discomfort in his left quadriceps after the third One-day International against Afghanistan on Saturday and has been advised to undergo a rehabilitation period. His absence leaves India without a frontline pace-bowling all-rounder for the upcoming assignments.

Suryansh Shedge has been drafted into the squad as Reddy’s replacement. The 23-year-old is a batting all-rounder and earned the call-up after making 147 runs in five matches for India A during the recently concluded tri-series in Sri Lanka.

India are scheduled to play two T20Is against Ireland in Belfast on June 26 and June 28 before heading to England for a five-match series in July.

Sooryavanshi receives first India jersey

Separately, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi received his first official India jersey, with the BCCI sharing a video of the moment on Tuesday and describing it as the moment the nation has been waiting for.

Sooryavanshi was selected in India’s T20 squad for the Ireland and England tours, as well as the Asian Games, after emerging as the standout batter in this year’s Indian Premier League. He scored 776 runs for Rajasthan Royals to finish as the competition’s highest run-getter, striking one century and five half-centuries and claiming the Orange Cap.

In the video released by the BCCI, Sooryavanshi spoke about the significance of the occasion. "Ever since I first held a bat and walked onto a cricket field to practise, I dreamed of this moment… I cannot explain this feeling in words," he said.

He is now in contention to become India’s youngest international cricketer, moving past Sachin Tendulkar, who made his Test debut in 1989 at the age of 16 years and 205 days.