Team India has been dealt a significant blow right before the T20 International series opener against Australia. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will miss the first three matches due to a recurring left quadriceps injury, which has now been further complicated by debilitating neck spasms. This development comes as a concern for the Indian squad, even as captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed optimism about Reddy’s recovery prospects.
Reddy initially sustained the quad strain during the second One-Day International in Adelaide, forcing him to miss the final match of that series. His rehabilitation has hit a snag with the onset of neck spasms, impacting his mobility and delaying his return to competitive action. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring his condition, though a definitive return date remains unclear.
Despite the setback, captain Suryakumar Yadav offered a glimmer of hope during his pre-match press conference. “He’s doing fine. Yesterday he did a bit of running and batted in the nets. Today was an optional session, so he took a breather. He looks good,” Suryakumar stated, indicating that Reddy is making progress, albeit slowly.
In the highly anticipated first T20I of the five-match series, Australian captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and made the strategic decision to field first. This choice aligns with Australia’s consistent approach in T20Is under Marsh’s captaincy, as they have now opted to bowl first in all 18 matches where he has won the toss.
Historically, this strategy has proven successful for Australia. Since September 2022, they have emerged victorious in 30 out of 53 men’s T20Is, choosing to bowl first in all but one of these games – a notable exception against Pakistan at the SCG in 2024.
For India, the bowling attack features two frontline pacers, Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana, complemented by the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy.
Playing XIs for the First T20I:
India XI:
- Abhishek Sharma
- Shubman Gill
- Suryakumar Yadav (c)
- Tilak Varma
- Sanju Samson (w)
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Harshit Rana
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Jasprit Bumrah
Australia XI:
- Mitchell Marsh (c)
- Travis Head
- Josh Inglis (w)
- Tim David
- Mitchell Owen
- Marcus Stoinis
- Josh Philippe
- Xavier Bartlett
- Nathan Ellis
- Matthew Kuhnemann
- Josh Hazlewood