3 players who can replace Nitish Kumar Reddy in Team India's squad for IND vs IRE 2026 T20Is ft. Suryansh Shedge

× Team India's injury crisis while tackling a packed calendar has claimed another victim as Nitish Kumar Reddy is set to be ruled out of the upcoming white-ball tour of Ireland and England. The all-rounder aggravated a left quadriceps injury towards the end of the home ODI series against Afghanistan, and will reportedly require two to three weeks of rehab. Ad Nitish Kumar Reddy had missed the second ODI against Afghanistan in Lucknow due to the injury, but had returned to the playing XI for the series finale in Chennai, with Arshdeep Singh being rested.

The youngster, who had a massive role to play in the absence of the injured Hardik Pandya, joins the casualty list instead, leaving the team management scrambling for a last-minute plan. "Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the UK tour due to a left quadriceps injury. His rehabilitation is expected to take 2-3 weeks," an update from RevSportz mentions.

Ad Trending Seam bowling all-rounders are a rarity and a prized asset in India, but given that their top two options are out for the time being, the selectors might have to dig deeper and find a candidate they can groom as part of a contingency plan. On that note, let us take a look at the three players who can replace Nitish Kumar Reddy in Team India's squad for IND vs IRE 2026 T20Is. Ad #1 Suryansh Shedge One of the names that is making the early rounds right after the details and the implications of Nitish Kumar Reddy's injury broke through is Suryansh Shedge.

The talented Mumbai all-rounder has had a steady rise in recent years, firstly through the domestic circuit, followed by a successful Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign for the Punjab Kings (PBKS). Having played under the close supervision of newly appointed Team India T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, the 23-year-old all-rounder could be in pole position for a maiden call-up under these circumstances. Ad After a successful IPL 2026 season, where Shedge availed some valuable game time and scored 158 runs at a strike rate of 175.

56, he carried the form for India 'A' in the recently concluded tri-series in Sri Lanka. The youngster is largely known for his hard ball striking, and explosive, calculative abilities as a finisher. While he has hardly bowled in the IPL, mostly due to the impact player rule, his bowling record in T20 cricket is decent, and could be improved with guidance and experience.

In 30 T20s, he has picked up 13 wickets at an average of 29.92 and an economy rate of 10.01.

Ad #2 Madhav Tiwari The 22-year-old made a massive statement towards the end of the IPL 2026 campaign for a crumbling Delhi Capitals (DC), emerging as one of their brightest positives before their elimination. After warming the bench for the majority of the season, Madhav Tiwari featured in four matches towards the end of the league stage, where he picked up four wickets, with one of them being Vaibhav Suryavanshi. His four wickets came at an average of 21.

75 and an economy of 8.70. He also completed his quota of four overs in two of those outings.

Ad Making the most of his chances in the IPL, the youngster translated the form into the Madhya Pradesh Premier League 2026. Representing the Ujjain Falcons, he has scored 370 runs and taken 13 wickets to be among the top ten run-scorers and wicket-takers in the ongoing campaign. While Tiwari is yet to feature in domestic cricket, his recent performances, coupled with Team India's desperation at the moment, justify a potential fast-tracking into the national set-up.

Ad #3 Arshad Khan While the aforementioned choices might be too bold considering they are just beginning their cricketing journey at the highest level, Arshad Khan emerges as a mature option who has been in and around, whether it be domestic cricket, or the IPL. The 28-year-old made his List-A debut five years back, and has accumulated decent experience since then. His ability to move the new ball and chip in with runs in the lower order makes him a reliable prospect.

He had his best-ever IPL season with the ball recently, picking up six wickets at an average of 28.66. Much like Suryansh Shedge, he was also part of the India 'A' team that won the tri-series in Sri Lanka.

The left-handed all-rounder picked up four wickets in three matches, while showcasing his death bowling while defending four runs off the final over in the infamous tied match against Sri Lanka 'A' in Dambulla. × Was this article helpful? Thank You for feedback Follow IPL Auction 2025 Live Updates, News & Biddings at Sportskeeda.

Get the fastest updates on Mega-Auction and cricket news Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Gokul Nair Team India's injury crisis while tackling a packed calendar has claimed another victim as Nitish Kumar Reddy is set to be ruled out of the upcoming white-ball tour of Ireland and England. The all-rounder aggravated a left quadriceps injury towards the end of the home ODI series against Afghanistan, and will reportedly require two to three weeks of rehab. Ad