Suryansh Shedge earns maiden India call-up as Nitish Reddy misses Ireland, England T20Is
Mumbai, June 23 (IANS) India's preparations for the upcoming T20I assignments against Ireland and England have been dealt a setback after all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out due to injury. In his place, the national selectors have handed a maiden senior call-up to Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge, rewarding the 23-year-old for his impressive performances in domestic cricket and for India A.
Announcing the change, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Nitish would be unavailable for both series after sustaining an injury during India's recent ODI series against Afghanistan.
“The Men's Selection Committee has named Suryansh Shedge as a replacement for Nitish Kumar Reddy in India's squads for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England. Nitish reported left quadriceps discomfort after the third ODI against Afghanistan on June 20.
Following a subsequent medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has recommended a period of rehabilitation, ruling him out of both T20I series,” the board said in a statement.Nitish's absence leaves India without one of their key seam-bowling all-round options at a time when the squad is already missing Hardik Pandya, who continues to recover from the injury he suffered during IPL 2026. The Andhra Pradesh all-rounder was expected to shoulder significant responsibility during the white-ball leg of the UK tour, particularly given his unique role in balancing the side.
Shedge's promotion comes on the back of a consistent run across formats. The Mumbai cricketer recently featured for India A in the tri-series in Sri Lanka, where he played an important role in the team's title-winning campaign. Operating in the middle order, he accumulated 147 runs in five matches while also contributing with the ball, delivering 23 overs and claiming two wickets.
The BCCI highlighted the performances that earned Shedge his opportunity at the highest level.
“Suryansh earned the call-up following a string of impressive performances for India A in the recently concluded tri-series in Sri Lanka. Batting in the middle order, the 23-year-old scored 147 runs in five matches and also chipped in with the ball, bowling 23 overs across the tournament. He was also one of the standout performers for Mumbai in their victorious Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in 2024-25, scoring 131 runs at a strike rate of 251.92 in the lower middle order,” the statement read further.