Shivam Dube replaces injured Nitish Kumar Reddy in Team India's squad for Zimbabwe tour
All-rounder Shivam Dube has been named as an injury replacement for Nitish Kumar Reddy in the Team India squad ahead of the upcoming five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) breakout star was handed a maiden call-up recently for the five-match affair away from home, but has to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury.
Nitish Kumar Reddy's ability to bowl medium pace bowling along with his batting was deemed crucial, and his development is certain to be a priority in the coming years. The all-rounder had a brilliant 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, scoring 303 runs in 11 innings at an average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 142.92. He also chipped in with three wickets at an economy of 11.39.
He was last seen playing in the IPL final, where he scored 13 runs before being dismissed by Harshit Rana.
"The Men’s Selection Committee named Shivam Dube as replacement for the injured Nitish Reddy in India’s squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring Nitish Reddy’s progress. India will play Zimbabwe in the five-match T20I series in Harare, starting from July 06, 2024," the BCCI's statement regarding the injury read.
Meanwhile, Shivam Dube is currently with the Indian squad in the Caribbean for the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup. The left-handed batter had a tough group stage, but slowly found rhythm in the Super 8 stage, and could play a massive role in the knockout stages.
Team India updated squad for the tour of Zimbabwe
Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Riyan Parag, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, Tushar Deshpande, and Shivam Dube.
India's tour of Zimbabwe to take place from July 6 to 14
The Men in Blue will tour Zimbabwe right after the T20 World Cup with a second-string side led by Shubman Gill. This marks the first captaincy venture for the youngster with the national team, and also includes several fresh call-ups like Riyan Parag and Abhishek Sharma.
National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman will travel with the team as head coach, with the BCCI yet to finalize the appointment of Rahul Dravid's successor.