Nitish Reddy ruled out of Ireland T20Is with quadriceps injury, England leg in doubt

India's preparations for their first assignment since the T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year have been disrupted by another injury setback. All-rounder Nitish Reddy has been ruled out of the upcoming white-ball tour of the UK with a quadriceps injury that he had sustained during the recent ODI series against Afghanistan.

According to a medical bulletin, an MRI revealed swelling with fibre disruption in his left quadriceps, and he has been asked to report at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence for further assessment.

How the injury developed

The origins of the problem trace back to the Afghanistan series. Reddy picked up the injury while bowling during the first ODI in Dharamsala and was subsequently rested for the second game in Lucknow. He returned for the series finale in Chennai on June 20, but the comeback proved costly. He bowled six wicketless overs for 42 runs in that match, after which he is understood to have complained of discomfort.

The aggravation has now ruled him out of a significant period of cricket. Reports indicate the injury will require several weeks of rehabilitation. It is understood that Reddy will take a minimum of four weeks to complete his rehabilitation before he can start his return-to-play protocols.

A growing injury list

Reddy's absence compounds an already stretched situation for the Indian team management. The development left India without either of their frontline seam-bowling all-rounders, with Hardik Pandya ruled out last week as he continued recovery from a leg injury aggravated during a conditioning session at the CoE following his IPL 2026 season. No timeline has yet been set for Pandya's return.

The team has had to absorb multiple disruptions in the lead-up to this tour. Mohammed Siraj was withdrawn due to workload concerns, while Varun Chakaravarthy is still recovering from a fracture sustained in IPL 2026 and will miss the T20Is against Ireland.

Possible replacements

With Reddy unavailable, the management will need to rethink their bowling balance. Shivam Dube (T20Is) and Harshit Rana (T20Is and ODIs) could fill in, but though they have useful secondary skills, they are primarily a batter and a bowler respectively. If the selectors opt for a like-for-like replacement, Suryansh Shedge could be an option — he recently travelled to Sri Lanka for the 'A' team tri-series and scored his maiden List A half-century against Sri Lanka A, though his returns with the ball were modest.

What lies ahead

India's schedule offers little breathing room. They are set to play two T20Is in Ireland on June 26 and 28, before heading to England for a five-match T20I series starting July 1, followed by three ODIs. These will mark India's first T20Is since their T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year, and they will be led by new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer.

For Reddy, a 23-year-old who has featured across all three formats, the timing is unfortunate — but the priority for the medical team will be ensuring a full recovery rather than rushing him back.