Nitish Kumar Reddy Ruled Out of First Three T20Is Against Australia Due to Back Stiffness

India’s fast-bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the first three T20 Internationals against Australia after complaining of back stiffness, which has affected his recovery and mobility, the BCCI confirmed on Wednesday morning.

Reddy, 22, had initially suffered a left quadriceps injury during the second ODI in Sydney on October 23. He missed the third and final ODI, where India bounced back with a commanding nine-wicket win to finish the series 2-1. His latest setback — neck spasms leading to back stiffness — has delayed his comeback to the national side.

India are already missing Hardik Pandya, who continues to recover from a quadriceps injury. In Hardik’s absence, the team has struggled to maintain balance in the allrounder department. However, there was some relief for the visitors as Shivam Dube, the other seam-bowling allrounder in the squad, returned to fitness and was included in the playing XI for the first T20I in Canberra. Dube had earlier missed the opening round of the Ranji Trophy due to a minor back issue.

This year has been particularly challenging for Nitish Kumar Reddy on the fitness front. In July, he was ruled out of the fourth and fifth Tests against England due to a knee injury sustained during a gym session. His subsequent quadriceps injury in Australia has only compounded his woes.

Since making his international debut in the Perth Test in November 2024, Reddy has featured in 15 matches across formats for India, showing glimpses of promise as a genuine pace-bowling allrounder.

For the first T20I in Canberra, India opted for a spin-heavy combination, fielding Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel, mirroring the strategy that brought them success in the Asia Cup, which they won in September.