India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy took three wickets for 24 runs as India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the second T20I in Delhi on September 15. The next day, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) withdrew him from the country’s Asian Games squad and named him for the upcoming one-day series against the West Indies.
What happened
A T20I, or Twenty20 international, is the shortest format of international cricket, with 20 overs for each side. India captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and chose to field first.
Reddy dismissed Afghanistan captain Ibrahim Zadran, who had made 37, and later removed Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan. His three overs cost 24 runs, and Afghanistan finished on 159 for 8.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma led India’s chase, and the win gave the hosts an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Reddy was named Player of the Match. It was a clear improvement on the series opener, when he gave away 30 runs in two overs.
Why it matters
The Afghanistan series marked Reddy’s return to the Indian side after a left quadriceps injury, which affects the large muscles at the front of the thigh. He was hurt during India’s ODI series against Afghanistan in June and missed the T20I series against Ireland and England. He spent his recovery at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
In a video released by the BCCI after the match, Reddy said getting through an injury depends largely on attitude.
“You have to be really strong at those points.” — Nitish Kumar Reddy, in a BCCI video
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, speaking on Sony Sports Network, described Reddy as “a very fine prospect” and said India’s young all-rounders should be given time to develop and encouraged after poor games.
What happens next
In a squad update on September 16, the BCCI said spinner Varun Chakaravarthy would miss both the Japan T20I and the Asian Games because of a side strain, and that Vipraj Nigam would replace him. The same update confirmed that Reddy had been taken out of the Asian Games group so he could play the ODIs against the West Indies. No replacement was named for Reddy, leaving the Asian Games squad with 14 players.
The Asian Games are being held in Japan. Before the tournament, India play a one-off T20I against Japan in Sano on September 22.
Reddy’s next assignment is a three-match ODI, or one-day international, series at home. The first game is in Thiruvananthapuram on September 27, followed by matches in Guwahati on September 30 and New Chandigarh on October 3. Shubman Gill captains the 15-player squad. Before that, the third and final T20I against Afghanistan is scheduled in Delhi on September 17.
