Oct 14: In a big blow to Nitish Kumar Reddy, he has been ruled out of India’s white-ball tour of Ireland with a quadriceps injury. The skilled all-rounder had recently become a key member of India’s limited-overs team but will now enter recovery mode as the BCCI and management assess the severity of the lat, and how long it might take to heal in time for his return.
This came after Reddy had already missed India’s last ODI against Afghanistan when he felt discomfort in his thigh. A subsequent medical examination revealed a quadriceps problem, leading the selectors and team management to rule him out of the Ireland series. Injury is also likely to rule him out of India’s next tour of England, but a final call on his participation will largely depend on the speed with which he responds to treatment and rehabilitation.
Reddy’s absence in fact is a massive blow for India. With both bat and ball, he has given balance to the side too which is particularly important in white-ball cricket. The young gun has shown that he can be an aggressive middle order bat, and also put his medium pace to work with some valuable overs. His versatility with the bat and ball were one of the major reasons that he is seen as one of the biggest assets in India’s young core group.
With a busy international calendar on the horizon, India’s coaching staff and medical team are expected to be very careful with the ailment. Surely, the focus will be on getting Reddy healthy instead of forcing him back into action. Although team officials were keeping the faith that the all rounder would come back stronger post rehab.
It allows other players to make their mark during the Ireland series. The selectors of India may eye for different all-round options to cover the place vacated by Reddy but the more difficult task will be on the squad management which will need to recreate some combinations used in maintaining balance, often provided byReddy.
Now, the focus for Reddy is not so much on international cricket but recovery. Although it does mean that the 23-year-old now misses out on two key overseas assignments he will be a man eager to regain fitness and return to the national side as soon as possible. Indian fans will be hoping the exciting all-rounder recovers swiftly and continues the rapid progress he’s made over the past 12 months.
