A new star emerged on the international cricket stage as Nitish Kumar Reddy officially joined India’s One Day International squad on Sunday. The young all-rounder received his much-anticipated ODI cap from captain Rohit Sharma at Optus Stadium in Perth, marking a significant milestone in his budding career.
Perth appears to be a lucky charm for Nitish, as it was also the venue for his Test debut in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy back in 2024. During that series, he made an immediate and impactful impression, scoring a crucial 41 runs in his first Test innings. His stellar performance continued throughout the five-Test series, where he even notched up a memorable century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), firmly establishing himself as one of India’s most promising talents.
The day also saw Australia introduce their own fresh talent, with Matt Renshaw and Mitch Owen being presented with their ODI caps. While Nitish’s debut carried the weight of high expectations and a compelling story of career progression, Renshaw and Owen embarked on their own exciting journeys, filled with promise and anticipation for their international careers.
India Playing XI:
- Rohit Sharma
- Shubman Gill (Captain)
- Virat Kohli
- Shreyas Iyer
- KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper)
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Harshit Rana
- Mohammed Siraj
- Arshdeep Singh
Australia Playing XI:
- Travis Head
- Mitchell Marsh (Captain)
- Matthew Short
- Josh Philippe (Wicketkeeper)
- Matt Renshaw
- Cooper Connolly
- Mitchell Owen
- Mitchell Starc
- Nathan Ellis
- Matthew Kuhnemann
- Josh Hazlewood
In a significant development, Australia won the toss and elected to field first. Adding to the excitement, cricketing stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned to action for India after a 223-day hiatus. Their return brings immense experience and firepower to the top order, and all eyes will be eagerly watching these two veterans as they play under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, signifying the dawn of a new era in Indian ODI cricket.