Manchester: Team India suffered a major blow ahead of the crucial fourth Test against England, as star all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been officially ruled out of the remainder of the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy due to a knee injury, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed on Monday.
Reddy, who played in the second and third Tests, sustained the injury during a gym session on Sunday, July 20. Medical scans revealed ligament damage in his left knee, forcing the 21-year-old to withdraw from the tour. He will fly back to India for rehabilitation.
“All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out of the remaining two Tests owing to a left knee injury. Nitish will fly back home, and the team wishes him a speedy recovery,” the BCCI statement read.
In a further setback, pacer Arshdeep Singh will also miss the fourth Test at Old Trafford after suffering an impact injury to his left thumb during a net session in Beckenham.
To bolster the bowling unit, Haryana pacer Anshul Kamboj has been added as cover. The 24-year-old has already joined the squad in Manchester, having impressed with his performances for India A against the England Lions prior to the Test series.
Meanwhile, uncertainty looms over the availability of Akash Deep, who is dealing with a groin niggle. He featured in the second and third Tests, but the BCCI has not yet commented on his fitness status.
The fourth Test begins on Wednesday at Old Trafford, with England leading the series 2-1. The match is a must-win for India to stay alive in the series.
Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain & WK), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (WK), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj.
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