Ahead of the 5-match T20I series against Australia (AUS vs IND), starting from October 29, Team India is dealing with multiple injury concerns. Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Kumar Reddy both received injuries during the recently concluded 3-match ODI series. On Sunday, major updates about their injuries arrived. 

Initially, Shreyas Iyer's injury was considered minor, but after the BCCI update, concerns are set to rise high, as the vice-captain of the Team India ODI squad has injured his rib. During the third One Day International match against Australia in Sydney, he was taken to hospital for further treatment, BCCI informed during the match. According to the latest updates published by Cricbuzz, "Shreyas Iyer is being monitored in a Sydney hospital after suffering a rib injury." As of now, it is unknown when the middle-order batter will be fully fit to return to action. 

After the conclusion of the 50-over series, India will face the home team for a 5-match T20I contest where Iyer will not be a part of the squad. But Nitish Kumar Reddy is one of the key members of India's T20I squad, who also picked up an injury. 

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Latest injury updates of Shreyas Iyer and Nitish Kumar Reddy

⚠️India Injury Updates

🔹Shreyas Iyer is being monitored in a Sydney hospital after suffering a rib injury

🔸Nitish Reddy has a quad injury but is expected to be fit for the T20Is #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/OyJHSXfA9v

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) October 26, 2025

Latest reports suggested that the young pace bowling all-rounder has sustained a quad injury; for that, he is now under monitoring. But it is reported that Reddy's injury is not serious and he is expected to be fully fit before the beginning of the bilateral T20I series.

India squad for the T20I series vs Australia: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, and Washington Sundar.

India lost the three-match ODI series against Australia after their second defeat at the Adelaide Oval two days ago, having already faced a defeat at the Optus Stadium in Perth in the opening clash. The third and final game of the series at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) was a chance for the Blue Brigade to deny the hosts a clean sweep, something which the opposition had never tasted. 

However, the visitors were without their pace bowling all-rounder, Nitish Kumar Reddy, for the clash. He was available for selection in the third fixture as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared an update from the medical side, as they keep monitoring the progress of the Andhra player.

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“Nitish Kumar Reddy sustained a left quadriceps injury during the second ODI in Adelaide and was subsequently unavailable for selection for the third ODI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring him daily.” The BCCI posted the statement 13 minutes after the end of the toss.

Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out of AUS vs IND 3rd ODI in Sydney with quadriceps injury

India faced their 18th successive defeat in the toss in the 50-over format, which has now become a concern, even though these things are not in control of anyone. They made two changes in the playing eleven with the left-arm wrist spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, finally getting his chance in the eleven along with Prasidh Krishna, who replaced Arshdeep Singh, perhaps to keep the latter fresh for the T20I series.

🚨 Update 🚨

Nitish Kumar R eddy sustained a left quadriceps injury during the second ODI in Adelaide and was subsequently unavailable for selection for the third ODI. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring him on a daily basis.#TeamIndia | #AUSvIND | @NKReddy07 pic.twitter.com/8vBt1f5e5f

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 25, 2025

Australia, meanwhile, resisted the temptation of resting the two quicks, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. The former has already retired from the shortest format, while Hazlewood would feature in the first three games of the five-match T20I series before preparing himself for the red-ball Sheffield Shield clash ahead of the Ashes 2025-26.

Australia made a strong start with the bat, thanks to the 61-run opening stand in 9.2 overs before Mohammed Siraj drew first blood with the wicket of Travis Head on 29 runs in 25 balls. It was an unusual Sydney surface with stiff bounce on offer while the batters got massive rewards for the shots.

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s first ODI for India in Perth was a personal high and a team low. The 22-year-old all-rounder rescued a rain-affected match with a quick 19 off 11 balls* against Australia, including two sixes that put the crowd on its feet. Even though India lost the match by seven wickets, Reddy's fearless batting was nothing short of a highlight for the visitors throughout the contest.

The emotional moment of the day was the cap presentation ceremony, when former Indian captain Rohit Sharma presented Nitish with his first ODI cap. Rohit appreciated the young player's attitude, work ethic, and bold approach, predicting a rosy future for him in all formats. His words underscored the team's belief in Nitish's potential as a valuable all-rounder.

“Cap No. 260, Nitish Reddy. Welcome to the club. You’ve had a great start to your career, and it’s only because of how you want to play the game and your attitude. I am 110% sure that with that attitude, you are going to go a long way in this Indian team,” Rohit said during the ceremony.

Rohit Sharma Predicts Bright Future for Nitish Reddy

Rohit Sharma went further to predict that Nitish Reddy will excel in all formats of cricket. “You’re going to be an all-format great, which I believe thoroughly because, like you said in your speech yesterday, you want to be everywhere. The team will always support you, and I wish you a great career,” Rohit added.

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On the field, Reddy also bowled 2.1 overs, conceding 16 runs, showing glimpses of his all-round ability. Having already made his Test debut at the same venue last year, he now looks set to become an integral part of India’s cricketing future. While the team lost by seven wickets under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, Reddy’s fearless approach was one of the few positives for India.

The former Indian star player, Dodda Ganesh, has blamed the Indian team management of head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shubman Gill during the fourth day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. He slammed the decision of the Blue Brigade not to throw the ball at Nitish Kumar Reddy.

On the eve of the game, India’s coaching staff revealed that they wanted to transform Reddy into a proper pace bowling all-rounder, like a replacement for what Hardik Pandya was anticipated to be in the longest format, for the overseas Test matches. However, Shubman Gill, despite not getting wickets of the West Indies in the second innings, didn’t give a single over to Reddy.

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“How are you preparing Nitish Reddy for the all-rounder role if you don’t give him bowling at all? #INDvsWI.” Ganesh expressed in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). Nitish bowled only four overs in the opening encounter at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Dodda Ganesh slams India’s decision to keep Nitish Reddy out of bowling during IND vs WI 2nd Test

Reddy has overall smashed 343 runs in 13 innings of the longest format at an average of under 30 with a vital century at MCG during the BGT 2024-25. However, he has picked up only eight red-ball wickets and bowled 76 overs in 13 innings. That’s so huge bowling for someone who is expected to be the leading pace bowling all-rounder for a six in overseas games.

In the first innings, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja shared eight wickets between them as India spent 81.5 overs in the field. Having enforced the follow-on, they spent 118.5 overs in the second innings. Even when they failed to break the century stand for the third wicket, Gill refused to bring Reddy into the attack.

India will play South Africa at home in the next Test series before flying to Sri Lanka next August. However, when they make their trip to New Zealand, Reddy’s contribution will be immense. But he has to be ready by then to bowl long spells and 15+ overs in a day’s play.

India captain Shubman Gill has spoken about the need to give game time to Nitish Kumar Reddy and why he deserves more chances in home conditions. Out of the eight Tests Nitish has played so far, only one has been in India. Gill called it "unfair" for a player to mostly play in away conditions. He also highlighted the all-round value Nitish brings to the team, both as a bowler and a batter.

"There have been conversations about that. We suffer a shortage of third-fourth seamers on tracks assisting pacers away from home. It would be unfair if we only play him overseas. Especially, we are not going to play in overseas conditions much over the next one-and-a-half years, and it would mean not giving him many chances (if he only plays overseas). To be able to back a guy who can bowl 10-15 overs for us in a day and can bat as well," Gill said, as quoted by The Tribune.

Gill also stressed Nitish’s potential and the importance of giving him opportunities at home to help him grow as a cricketer. He pointed to Nitish’s performances during the 2024-25 tour of Australia and said the team management wants to nurture his talent.

Nitish’s Role and Upcoming Match

"We saw how he batted in Australia, so there is definitely a lot of ability and a lot of potential in him. So, we want to give him as much game time, especially in India and want to help him. And according to the match and according to the situation where we feel he can bat up the order or down the order, we will keep that in the mind," Gill added.

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Nitish has played eight Tests and four T20Is for India so far. He was part of India’s recent innings victory against the West Indies in the series-opening match in Ahmedabad. Gill’s statements indicate that Nitish is likely to feature in the second Test as well, which is scheduled to start on Friday, October 10, in Delhi.

India’s fielding performance during the Asia Cup 2025, especially at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, wasn’t up to the mark as they dropped several catches and continued to struggle for the entire event. However, they changed the skills and showed excellent fielding performance during the opening Test of the two-match series against the West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

India declared on their overnight score of 448/5, having already earned a lead of over 286 runs as Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, and wicket-keeper Dhruv Jurel celebrated three centuries in the first innings. The plan, perhaps, was to end the game inside three days and get two extra days off before the second Delhi Test.

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On the second ball of the eighth over, Mohammed Siraj went short at Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who swiveled across on the pull. However, he was slightly cramped for room and ended up muscling the shot. The ball was in the air for a long time as it hit the top of the blade and went left of the square leg.

Watch: Nitish Reddy’s flying catch sends back Tagenarine Chanderpaul during IND vs WI Ahmedabad Test

Nitish Reddy was stationed at the square leg region where he dived forward to grab a fine flying catch to dismiss the left-handed batter for eight runs. It was a superb judgement of catch from the all-rounder, who is expected to see his name in the squad for the away three ODIs against Australia down under.

What a blinder! 🤩😍

Nitish Kumar Reddy holds on to a superb diving catch and that's first blow for #TeamIndia in the 2nd innings! 🔥

Catch the LIVE action ➡ https://t.co/lvHQ6SSW3r

IND 🆚 WI 1st Test, Day 3 👉 LIVE NOW pic.twitter.com/b9R59pk6Bi

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) October 4, 2025

West Indies continue to struggle in their opening partnerships in the longest format this year. The 12 runs in this innings are their joint third best for the opening stand, along with one half-century opening partnership in this ongoing year. With the bat, they were poor at applying their shots and skills against the opponents.

In terms of five or more Tests in a year, West Indies’ average of 10.20 is the lowest average for an opening stand in a calendar year during the five-day format. The second lowest belongs to South Africa in 1912, when they averaged 11.45, followed by Pakistan at the third position in 1986 with an average of just under 12.

A memorable match for the Indian cricket team and for at least specific cricketers. From November 22 to 25, 2024, Team India faced Australia for a Test match at Perth. In the match, Nitish Kumar Reddy got his Test cap, and Virat Kohli scored his last Test century. When Virat hit the hundred, Reddy was on the non-striker's end. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy still remembers every moment of the match. It was his first game in the Whites, the moment perhaps he'll never forget when Virat handed over the Test cap to Reddy. Virat's century was like icing on the cake when the young all-rounder recalled the Australia vs. India encounter. 

"The Test debut cap, which Virat bhaiya (Virat Kohli) gave me—that was a very special moment for me. And one more was Virat bhaiya's last Test century—I was there on the non-striker end to watch him," Nitish Kumar Reddy said in a recent media conversation. 

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A brilliant team India at Perth 

India won the match against the home team, Australia, by a whopping 295-run margin. Jasprit Bumrah got the man of the match award for his first-innings 5-wicket spell, followed by a second-innings 3-wicket figure. But he had to share the spotlight with Virat, as the batting maestro slammed another century in his illustrious Test career. The right-handed batter remained unbeaten for 100 off 143 in the second innings with Reddy on the opposite side of the crease. Reddy, the debutant in that match, scored 41 and 38* runs in the first and second innings, respectively. Virat went to his batting partner, Reddy, and hugged him after scoring the century. 

The Australia cricket team led by Pat Cummins had no clue how to stop the steaming Men in Blue brigade. Batting first, India scored only 150 runs, and instantly the Aussies captured the driving seat, until Bumrah joined the party. Australia bundled for only 104 runs. In the second innings, the visiting team bounced back brilliantly and registered 487/6d and set a target of 534 for the host, which was enough to spot the winner of the rivalry; India won by 295 runs. 

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.

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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.

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‘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. 

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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.