Team India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is set to be released from the Test squad ahead of the first Test against South Africa, scheduled to begin on Friday, November 14, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The young all-rounder will instead feature for India ‘A’ in the upcoming List A matches against South Africa ‘A’ in Rajkot, starting November 13.
As per a report by India Today, the team management decided to release Nitish Kumar Reddy from the squad while he was preparing with teammates for the series opener. Reddy had played in both home Tests against the West Indies and was also included in the squad for Australia’s white-ball tour following Hardik Pandya’s injury during the 2025 Asia Cup.
Unfortunately, the emerging cricketer also faced a setback after sustaining a left quadriceps injury before the third ODI in Sydney. The medical staff ruled him out of the first three matches of the five-match T20I series due to neck spasms, and he did not feature in the later matches despite making a full recovery.
With India having their bowling combinations set, and plans to reinstate the returning Rishabh Pant alongside in-form Dhruv Jurel, Nitish Kumar Reddy has been released from the squad. The all-rounder is expected to gain valuable match practice for India’s white-ball matches against South Africa by playing for India ‘A’, instead of remaining on the bench during the international series.
“May Miss This Week” – India Assistant Coach on Nitish Reddy Ahead of 1st Test vs SA
Team India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate largely confirmed that Dhruv Jurel and Rishabh Pant are set to play together, leaving Nitish Kumar Reddy out for the first Test against South Africa.
“Our position hasn’t changed on Nitish. He didn’t get a chance in Australia. But looking at the challenge here, I think he’ll miss out from the XI this week,” the assistant coach said in a pre-match press conference (via Rev Sportz).
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