Since Gautam Gambhir's appointment as India's head coach, the other team's T20I approach has changed direction, especially concerning the playing XI, which has been a marked shift. In the 2024 Bangladesh series, India went with three spinners, two pacers, and two seam-bowling all-rounders. Against England, India once again went with three spinners and two seam-bowling all-rounders led by pacer Arshdeep Singh, as the lone pacer, and Hardik Pandya as the second pacer. The results were a sweep against Bangladesh 3-0 as well as a 4-1 series victory against England that was decisive.

With the World T20 coming, India can stay with the same combination but perhaps use the Asia Cup 2025 as a testing period. The Asia Cup begins on September 9 and India's first match will be against UAE. India has very good quality spin all-rounders in Washington Sundar and Axar Patel, but no successful fast-bowling all-rounder since Kapil Dev. Although Hardik Pandya is the number one choice, Shivam Dube, Ramandeep Singh, and Nitish Kumar Reddy could serve as back-ups, but none as full-time batting or bowling options.

See Also: Why Shreyas Iyer is a must-have in India’s T20I plans going forward, starting from the Asia Cup?

Hardik Pandya is likely to take on the role of first-choice pace-bowling all-rounder, but given both the likelihood of rotation and the injury possibilities, India will perhaps need an alternative to assess as well. For India, Nitish Kumar Reddy may effectively substitute for Hardik if he is unavailable as Reddy represents an excellent depth piece. In IPL 2025, Hardik was the first captain to register a fifer during an IPL match, but Hardik's problems with the bat, particularly in chasing during the 20-15 run chases, raise serious questions about his fitness, which is a continual concern on the watch list of India and makes it imperative that India identifies a strong backup in order to decide and maintain the preferred T20I mix going into the Asia Cup and World Cup.

Why Nitish Kumar Reddy Should Be Selected for the Asia Cup 2025?

Although Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh are potentially destructive batters, we can't really rely on them as bowlers. Dube has played 24 T20Is for India and has only taken 13 wickets at an economy rate of 9.36. In IPL 2025 he bowled just two overs and went for 32 runs. Ramandeep in comparison has bowled 20 balls in T20Is for India, taken one wicket and gone for 42 runs at an economy rate of 12.60. Ramandeep also hasn't bowled a single ball in IPL 2025. This just shows that beyond the first choice, there are struggles for India to produce genuine fast-bowling all-arounders, which further emphasizes the need for options to balance a squad.

Nitish Kumar Reddy represents the ultimate option as an all-rounder. As a strokeplayer he has scored 90 runs in three T20I innings with an average of 45.00 and a strike rate of 180, where he has scored one fifty. Bowling he has taken three wickets in three matches at 7.88 economy rate. After recovering from an injury he bowled five overs in IPL 2025 and took two wickets. The 22-year-old has also impressed in Tests throughout the tour of England with 343 runs from seven matches including a Boxing Day century and eight wickets.

The pace bowling all-rounder for India and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has broken the silence on the current reports of him looking to part ways with the franchise. For the last seven days, there had been several speculations on whether the youngster would leave the franchise ahead of the 2026 edition.

Reddy, on July 27, has taken the route to the social media platforms to clear the air on how some things would require clarity. The India star tore apart the rumours that stated that he would always stand by the franchise, and there would have been no truth to such words, flying around in the news outlets.

See Also: [WATCH] Shubman Gill celebrates record century during ENG vs IND 4th Test in Manchester

‘I tend to stay away from the noise, but some things deserve clarity. My connection with SRH is built on trust, respect, and years of shared passion. I’ll always stand by this team.’ Nitish Kumar Reddy penned down on his X handle (formerly known as Twitter).

Nitish Kumar Reddy breaks silence on reports of leaving SRH ahead of IPL 2026

Reddy didn’t even have an average performance during the previous season of the tournament. In the 13 encounters, the right-handed batter smashed 182 runs at an average of 22.7 and a strike rate of under 120. He retained the management for a price of INR 6 crore, which shows the trust they have in the youngster. A report, earlier, claimed that Reddy wasn’t happy with the SRH set-up and was planning to leave the franchise.

I tend to stay away from the noise, but some things deserve clarity. My connection with SRH is built on trust, respect, and years of shared passion.
I’ll always stand by this team. 🧡

— Nitish Kumar Reddy (@NKReddy07) July 27, 2025

After the end of the IPL 2024, Reddy flew to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, where he celebrated his very first century of the longest format at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Boxing Day. Those performances pushed him to make it into the squad for the five-match red-ball series in England.

However, things didn’t go as planned. He featured in the first two games at Lord’s and Edgbaston, besides scoring 45 runs and picking three wickets. Reddy was preferred over Shardul in those two games before a ligament damage injury, which he picked up in the gym, ruled him out of the series.

Indian cricketer Nitish Kumar Reddy is currently going through a tough time. While he has been ruled out from the last two Tests of the ongoing five-match Test series in England, he is facing legal notice over INR 5 crore unpaid dues. 

According to the India Today report, Nitish Kumar Reddy's former player management agency, "Square The One Private Limited," has alleged that the Indian all-rounder breached the contract along with non-payment of dues. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where the all-rounder made his Test debut, their relationship reportedly broke down after the player signed with another manager, who was representing another Indian cricketer who was on that Australia tour. 

The agency has filed a petition under Section 11(6) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act. The report claimed that the case is expected to be heard in the Delhi High Court on July 28. The petition seeks the appointment of an independent arbitrator to adjudicate claims. 

See Also: India vs Pakistan fixture date in Asia Cup 2025 revealed

Nitish refused to pay any money

A source told India Today, “Ninety percent of such disputes do not reach court and are resolved privately. But in this case, Nitish refused to pay any money and claimed he had secured the deals himself."

The India Today report further added that "Square The One Private Limited" worked with Nitish Kumar Reddy from 2021, when he had not even made his IPL debut. The pace-bowling all-rounder made his IPL debut in 2023 and has played 28 IPL matches for SunRisers Hyderabad, while he was also a regular member of the team during their runners-up finish in the IPL 2024 campaign.  

Injured Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of last two Tests in England tour

The 22-year-old all-rounder has played seven Tests and four T20Is for India. In the ongoing England tour, he played in the second and third Tests in Birmingham and Lord's, respectively. He played important roles in the Lord's Test, where India lost by 22 runs, as the all-rounder took three wickets (2/62 & 1/20) and scored crucial 43 runs (30 & 13) for the visitors.  

Nitish Kumar Reddy was reportedly a very much automatic choice for the ongoing fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, but his knee injury forced him to be ruled out of the series and return home early. 

India’s potential all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remainder of the five-match Test series against England. His exclusion comes just days before the crucial fourth Test in Manchester, scheduled to begin on July 23.

Reddy sustained a knee injury during a training session ahead of the game. Following the incident, medical scans confirmed a notable ligament issue, making him unavailable for the rest of the series.

The injury is a setback for India, who are already facing pressure to level the series after losing the third Test. With the series delicately poised and India needing a win in Manchester to stay in the hunt, Reddy’s absence adds to the team’s challenges ahead of the critical match.

See Also: WATCH: Team India fielding drills ahead of ENG vs IND 4th Test

Nitish Reddy’s Injury Scares Team India:

Nitish Kumar Reddy might not have big numbers to his name—just 45 runs and three wickets from two Tests—but he made a noticeable contribution in the third Test at Lord’s. Acting as the fourth seamer, he delivered a key over that saw him remove two important English batters, briefly shifting momentum in India’s favor.

With the series currently standing at 2-1 in England’s favor, India heads into the fourth Test needing a win to stay alive. They lost the first Test by five wickets, bounced back with a dominant 336-run victory in the second, but narrowly missed out in the third by 22 runs. Reddy’s injury now opens up a spot in the lineup, and with the Manchester Test fast approaching, all eyes will be on who steps in to fill that role.

Shardul Thakur or Dhruv Jurel- Who Will be the Pick in Place of Reddy:

India could turn to Shardul Thakur as a suitable replacement for Nitish Kumar Reddy in the playing XI. Shardul featured in the opening Test at Headingley, where he scored just five runs and took two wickets. However, his recent domestic form has been promising. Representing Mumbai in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy, the experienced all-rounder scored 505 runs in nine games, including one century and four fifties, and also picked up 35 wickets.

His experience in English conditions is valuable—across five Tests there, he has scored 178 runs with three fifties and claimed 12 wickets. Including him as the fourth seamer would help India maintain the team’s balance, offering both bowling depth and batting stability in the absence of Reddy for the crucial fourth Test.

Dhruv Jurel stepped in as a substitute wicketkeeper at Lord’s after Rishabh Pant suffered an injury. Before the Test series, Jurel had caught attention with strong performances for India A, registering scores of 94, 53*, 52, and 28. His presence with the bat is certainly a boost for the team’s lower order.

However, his selection could impact the team’s balance. If Pant doesn’t recover in time for the Manchester Test, Jurel is likely to take over the keeping duties. But if Pant returns and Jurel is picked purely as a batter, India could miss out on a crucial bowling option. The team management will need to carefully assess the situation before finalizing the playing XI for the crucial fourth Test.

As the fourth Test is a do-or-die clash for India, they cannot afford to weaken their bowling unit. The team faces a tough decision—whether to boost their pace attack or add depth to their batting line-up. Their approach for this crucial match will be key in determining whether they can stay in contention and level the series. All eyes will be on the team combination in Manchester.

The Indian camp is in tense mode before the important Manchester Test due to the rising fitness issues of team members, especially the regular players. Now, a star Indian cricketer is in danger of missing out on the remainder of the ongoing England tour.

Visitors India are trailing the five-match Test series against the hosts England, Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025, by 2-1 after the third Test. So, India can't afford another defeat in this Test series, while they must win both the remaining matches to lift the Test series in England for the first time after the successful 2007 tour.

Old Trafford in Manchester will host the fourth Test of the series, starting on Wednesday (July 23), as both teams have earned more than a week's rest between the third and fourth Tests of the series. 

See Also: Injury concerns rise as big players quit practice sessions ahead of ENG vs IND 4th Test

Team India has some serious fitness issues

During the first innings of the third Test of the series at Lord's, Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant was injured on his left index finger and was only available to bat in both innings. He may appear in the fourth Test, but India may also go with Dhruv Jurel for the wicketkeeper role. Meanwhile, the Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep are injured and seriously doubtful for the Manchester Test. Pace-bowling all-rounder Anshul Kamboj has already been added to the squad in this critical moment for the team. In the meantime, the team management is seriously looking at the workload management of Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy injured on Sunday

Now, ESPNcricinfo has reported that Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is doubtful for the remainder of the England tour. During the training on Sunday, he picked up an injury, and the scans have revealed a ligament injury.   

Reddy played the last two matches of the ongoing Test series in England. While he hadn't had any impressive stats in the second Test of the series at Birmingham (1 & 1; 0/29), where India won by 336 runs, he had some good roles in the last Test at Lord's (30 & 13; 2/62 & 1/20), where the visitors fought till the end and suffered a narrow 22-run defeat. As Reddy provided strong support to the team, both in seam bowling and lower-middle order batting, his presence is crucial for the visitors. If he has been ruled out for the remainder of the series, it will be a big blow for India. 

Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has thrown his support behind all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy ahead of India's crucial fourth Test against England at Old Trafford, Manchester, starting Wednesday, July 23. Speaking about India’s team balance, Hogg stressed the importance of retaining Reddy in the playing XI to maintain batting depth. While praising Arshdeep Singh’s potential, he asserted that the left-arm seamer should only be included if Jasprit Bumrah is rested.

"I think Arshdeep Singh coming in for Nitish Reddy is probably not ideal. You want to keep Reddy there. The reason being is you need extra depth in the batting. Arshdeep Singh should come in if Bumrah is rested. Krishna has had his day. He's tried and tested; it hasn't come off. Thakur would be a good option, but I don't think he's fit enough if you're going in with one less bowler," Hogg said on his YouTube channel.

The discussion around Kuldeep Yadav has also gained traction during the series, with India opting for Washington Sundar instead. However, Hogg believes Kuldeep should still be benched, pointing again to the value Reddy brings with the ball as well. "You can either get rid of Reddy for Kuldeep or Sundar for Kuldeep. I'd keep Reddy in there because you need that extra seamer. He can do a little bit of damage with that swinging ball. If he's moving the ball, the English batters might not want to go after him if there's pressure from the other end. I wouldn't bring Kuldeep in. I'd keep the team as it is. I'd just swap Arshdeep for Bumrah if Bumrah can't play. He'll be right for the duke ball," he explained.

Karun Nair or Sai Sudharsan?

Hogg also weighed in on the debate surrounding Karun Nair, who has underperformed so far in the series despite coming off a brilliant domestic season. With just 131 runs at an average of 21.83 from six innings, Nair’s place at No. 3 is under scrutiny. Hogg believes his selection should depend entirely on his mental state.

See Also: 'There will be a lot of pressure on him' - Former India player reacts to Karun Nair's selection for ENG vs IND 2025 4th Test

"The only thing with Karun Nair, if I were India, I'd just be looking out for how he is with his mindset. Is he being a little hesitant at the present moment? Is he a little bit unsure of the way that he wants to play?" Hogg questioned. He added that if Nair’s confidence is low, Sai Sudharsan—who made his debut in the first Test—should be brought back. “If he's still confident and knows the way he wants to play, I'll stick with Nair. But if his confidence is low, I'd bring in a youngster.”

While the Andhra Premier League 2025 teams have been sorted out through the recent Auction, an Indian all-rounder, who is busy in the ongoing England tour, has been chosen for the captaincy role of the team.

It will be the fourth edition of the Andhra Premier League (APL), which will run between August 8 and 24 at the Dr. YSR ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. While the previous six teams have been defunct, the new seven teams have been introduced for the fourth season. 

See Also: Another League Scam? Max60 delayed & players waiting for payments

Nitish Kumar Reddy will lead Bhimavaram Bulls

On Thursday (July 17), the APL 2025 team Bhimavaram Bulls officially announced their captain. Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will lead Bhimavaram Bulls in the new APL season. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Bhimavaram Bulls (@bhimavaram_bulls)

Andhra Premier League 2025: Bhimavaram Bulls Full Squad

Nitish Kumar Reddy (Captain), Satyanarayan Raju, Hari Shankar Reddy, Hemanth Reddy, Pinniti Tejaswi, Munish Varma, Sai Sravan, T Vamsi Krishna, M Yuvan, B Satvik, K Revanth Reddy, Sai Surya Teja Reddy, CH Shiva, Sasank Srivats, C Raviteja, N Himakar, Kashyap Prakash, P Bhuvaneswar Rao, Bhaswanth Krishna, J Vishnu Datta 

Hanuma Bihari and KS Bharat will also play captaincy roles in the APL 2025

Nitish Kumar Reddy isn't the only popular name in the Andhra Premier League 2025, who served for the Indian national cricket team. Test cricketers Hanuma Vihari and KS Bharat will lead the Amaravati Royals and Kakinada Kings, respectively. Also, the remaining four teams, Royals of Rayalaseema, Simhadri Vizag Lions, Tungabhadra Warriors, and Vijayawada Sunshiners have named their captains as Shaik Rasheed, Ricky Bhui, Mahdeep, and Ashwin Hebbar, respectively. 

The APL 2025 auction was held on July 14, where 520 players went under the hammer. Royals of Rayalaseema's all-rounder Paila Avinash earned the highest bid in that auction of INR 11.5 lakh. The next two expensive bids were INR 10.05 lakh and INR 9.8 lakh for Royals of Rayalaseema's P. Girinath Reddy and Bhimavaram Bulls' all-rounder Satyanarayana Raju, respectively. 

Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar has called for two key changes in the Indian playing XI ahead of the fourth Test against England, scheduled to begin on Wednesday, July 23, at Old Trafford. Vengsarkar backed the inclusion of left-arm duo Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav in place of Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar, respectively, in a bid to strengthen India's bowling unit. Arshdeep, who earned his maiden Test call-up for this series, is yet to make his red-ball debut.

In the series so far, the team management has shuffled the third pacer's slot. At Headingley, Prasidh Krishna was preferred, followed by Akash Deep in the second Test when Bumrah was rested. With concerns around pacer workload and a long gap between matches, Vengsarkar believes it’s time to try Arshdeep, who can swing the ball both ways and offer something different. Kuldeep, despite India playing two spinners recently, has been left out, with Washington Sundar being preferred for his batting.

"I would drop Nitish Reddy and perhaps one more player to make room for Arshdeep. I think Siraj and Bumrah should keep their places, but Reddy could make way. Kuldeep Yadav could also replace someone like Washington Sundar. You need five bowlers in a Test match to win it. If your six batters can’t put up a good total, the bowlers need to take responsibility. You can’t win a Test match with part-time bowlers," Vengsarkar told RevSportz.

Arshdeep’s swing, Kuldeep’s spin, and Karun’s last chance?

The veteran further emphasized Arshdeep's suitability for English conditions. “I would pick Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav. Arshdeep is a good left-arm bowler who can move the ball in the air and off the wicket, which is crucial in English conditions. He can also reverse swing the ball, which is important. I have seen him bowl,” he said, backing the youngster for a debut in Manchester.

See Also: 'Expectancy is Tendulkar-Kohli Level'– Daniel Peacock hails India U19 star player, a fan favourite in England

Vengsarkar also spoke about Karun Nair, whose place in the XI is under scrutiny after a string of low scores since replacing Sai Sudharsan at No.3. “Karun Nair is a good player. He has shown promise but needs to convert those 30s and 40s into big scores. He’s an experienced player and knows what he has to do. I’d give him one more Test match to prove himself. He’s capable of scoring a hundred, and I hope he does in the next match,” he added, giving the batter one last opportunity to deliver.

Another must-win match slipped out of Team India's grip because of a collapsing batting unit. Lessons from the defeat in the 1st Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar trophy: Indian team management did some reinforcements in their playing combination for the following two matches.

They dropped Shardul Thakur, Sai Sudharsan, and Prasidh Krishna with the hope of taking the lead in the 5-match series. The dominating victory at Edgbaston raised the hopes high before the third match at Lord's. The inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy in the first XI came with some new hopes. Though he was far away from his best in the previous encounter. Still, the management relied on the young all-rounder, because another pace bowling all-rounder in the squad, Thakur, underperformed in the opening match, so the team decided to stay with Reddy.

The 22-year-old all-rounder, without claiming any wickets, got 1 run in each of the Edgbaston Tests. He appeared in the Lord’s Test match with a much-needed fresh breeze for him and for the team. Reddy helped Team India to get rid of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in the first innings with the new red ball. In the second innings, he again tricked England opener Crawley.

Read More: WATCH: Jofra Archer's athletic effort dismisses Washington Sundar on Day 5 of ENG vs IND 3rd Test

Should any drop Reddy?

But during the batting work, which India needs badly to keep maintaining lower batting order shape, he remained unimpressed. From Reddy’s blade, only 30 and 13 runs came in the first and the second innings of the third Test, respectively.

So, the question remains, should Shubman Gill’s team reconsider their starting XI? Ravindra Jadeja, in the second innings, fought brilliantly and remained unbeaten for 61, but no one from the line-up stood tall to support him. England won the third match by 22 runs and took a 2-1 lead in the ongoing 5-match series.

England intensified the ongoing 3rd Test of the Tendulkar-Anderson trophy at Lord's by taking a couple of wickets before the last session of Day 2. Jofra Archer did the damage early by clinching the scalp of Yashasvi Jaiswal, followed by another two in the 3rd session.

India will start Day 3 with 7 wickets in hand and 145 on the scoreboard. England can try to test the Indian middle order heavily, as captain Shubman Gill already went back to the pavilion. KL Rahul, unbeaten for 53, and Rishabh Pant, on 19*, will start the day, and Ravindra Jadeja and Nitish Kumar Reddy, with their gear on, will be sitting in the dugout.

 The wickets of Jaiswal, Karun Nair, and Gill spread the Indian batting order thin, with Rahul and Pant as the only full-time batters left in the combination. England will definitely look to get rid of the set batsmen—Rahul and Rishabh—as soon as possible. If India again starts to lose their men early, then Jadeja and Reddy will have to play a crucial role in the middle.

Early nets for Nitish Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja pic.twitter.com/NfEx0PQikn

— Sahil Malhotra (@Sahil_Malhotra1) July 12, 2025

Read More: "British media would have certainly made a big deal" - Sunil Gavaskar's scathing attack on Dukes ball losing shape in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test

Jadeja and Reddy prepared to carry huge responsibilities 

With every possibility on the table, Indian team management holds their remaining cards tight. Jadeja and Reddy were spotted sweating on the nets before the beginning of Day 3. Both the all-rounders polished their batting skills during the practice session. The 36-year-old all-rounder produced a couple of fifty-plus knocks (89 and 69*) during the 2nd Test at Edgbaston, while 22-year-old Reddy has yet to show his batting talent. The young all-rounder got 1 run in both innings of the second game.

He raised the expeditions higher after claiming a couple of wickets with the red ball. England openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were departed by Reddy.