India’s rising star, Nitish Kumar Reddy, is expected to earn his maiden Test cap in the opening match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, beginning Friday at Perth’s Optus Stadium. The 20-year-old all-rounder is set to play as the fourth seamer, leveraging the pitch’s renowned bounce and carry to strengthen the pace attack.
Vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side in skipper Rohit Sharma’s absence, with Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Aakash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna forming the fast-bowling core. Mohammed Shami, who recently returned to domestic cricket after recovering from an ankle injury, is not part of the squad. Shardul Thakur, a key player in India’s last tour of Australia, has also been left out.
Young all-rounder likely to bolster India’s pace attack at Perth’s Optus Stadium
During the pre-departure press conference, head coach Gautam Gambhir praised Reddy’s potential, saying:
“The decision to pick Reddy ahead of Shardul is also about moving forward. I think we’ve picked the best squad who can do the job for us. We all know how incredibly talented Nitish Reddy is and if given an option, he will deliver for us.”
Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, Reddy has played 21 first-class matches, scoring one century and two half-centuries while claiming 56 wickets. His IPL 2024 heroics with Sunrisers Hyderabad further cemented his reputation as a promising all-rounder.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener offers a pivotal opportunity for Reddy to shine on the big stage as India aims to retain the title for the third consecutive time.
