Why Nitish Kumar Reddy is not playing in 2nd ODI vs Afghanistan? BCCI shares update

India’s pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy did not feature in the playing eleven against Afghanistan in the second ODI. At the coin toss, captain Shubman Gill revealed that Reddy is facing some issues with his quadriceps (didn’t mention whether it was right or left leg) and was unavailable for selection.

However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a medical update on Reddy. The official statement revealed that Reddy has a 'sore left thigh' and the BCCI medical team is monitoring him.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Hasan Ali's superstition sparks hilarious bail-switching battle with Jonny Bairstow and Sam Hain

In the ODI series opener, he bowled four overs in the rain-curtailed 25 overs per side game. He conceded 31 runs and got the wickets of centurion Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mohammad Nabi.

ALSO READ: Watch: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi misses maiden India A fifty again, gets out to Afghan pacer's short ball in must-win game

Changes for IND vs AFG 2nd ODI

In Reddy’s absence, India made three changes. In place of Reddy, Yashasvi Jaiswal walked into the side. Prince Yadav was handed ODI debut, replacing Prasidh Krishna who remained wicketless in the previous game. Also, Kuldeep Yadav replaced Harsh Dubey who made his debut in Dharamsala. 

Reddy picked as Hardik Pandya’s comeback

Hardik Pandya recovered from back spasms but was ruled out due to a calf strain. He is likely to be available for the ODI series against England. Meanwhile, Reddy was looked at as Pandya’s backup for ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, especially after the extra pace he added.

Currently, it is yet to be revealed whether Reddy will be available for selection for the third and final ODI of the series on June 20 in Chennai. The Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee did not name a replacement for the ODI series. If Reddy is ruled out of the series, India will be left with a 13-man squad for the third ODI. 

India’s Playing XI for 2nd  ODI vs Afghanistan -

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav.

For the second ODI, India have only five bowling options, including all-rounder Washington Sundar as Reddy was unavailable. Only Jaiswal can chip in with a few overs. as the last time Shreyas Iyer bowled in an ODI was in 2023.