India suffer injury blow as all-rounder ruled out of Ireland and England white-ball tours

India have been dealt a significant blow ahead of their white-ball tours of Ireland and England, with all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy ruled out after aggravating a left quadriceps injury during the recently concluded ODI series against Afghanistan.

According to ESPNcricinfo, Reddy initially sustained the injury while bowling in the first ODI in Dharamsala and was subsequently rested for the second match in Lucknow. He returned for the series finale in Chennai, bowling six overs and conceding 42 runs, but experienced further discomfort that has now sidelined him from the upcoming assignments.

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The 23-year-old will undergo rehabilitation at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and is expected to spend at least a month recovering, with the focus on regaining fitness ahead of India’s two-Test tour of Sri Lanka in August.

Reddy’s absence further compounds India’s all-rounder concerns, with Hardik Pandya already unavailable due to a leg injury sustained during a conditioning session at the Centre of Excellence following IPL 2026. The BCCI has not provided a timeline for Pandya’s return.

In the absence of two key seam-bowling all-rounders, the selectors could turn to Shivam Dube or Harshit Rana as alternatives, while Suryansh Shedge has also emerged as a potential replacement after impressing for India A in Sri Lanka, including a half-century during the tour.

The setback comes as the Shreyas Iyer-led Indian squad departed from Chennai International Airport on Monday for the white-ball tour, which begins with two T20Is against Ireland in Dublin on June 26 and 28.

The Ireland series will mark India’s first T20I assignment since lifting the T20 World Cup earlier this year and signals the beginning of a new cycle in the format under Iyer’s leadership, with the 2028 T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics firmly on the horizon.

One of the major talking points of the touring squad is the inclusion of teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. At 15 years and 71 days, he became the youngest player ever selected for the Indian men’s team, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s 36-year-old record.

Uncapped fast bowler Prince Yadav has also earned his maiden senior call-up following a breakthrough IPL season, while Harshit Rana and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi return to the national setup.

Following the Ireland leg, India will travel to England for a five-match T20I series from July 1 to 11, before playing a three-match ODI series from July 14 to 19. The ODI squad will be captained by Shubman Gill, with Iyer serving as vice-captain.

The ODI series could also mark the return of Virat Kohli, who missed the Afghanistan ODIs due to a hamstring injury suffered during IPL 2026. However, his participation remains subject to fitness clearance.