Nitish Kumar Reddy Withdrawn from India's Squad for South Africa Test

Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been released from the national squad ahead of the first Test match against South Africa, which is set to commence on November 14 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced this decision through a media advisory on Wednesday. Reddy will now join the India A team for a One-day series against South Africa A, which is scheduled to take place in Rajkot from November 13 to 19 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.

Following the conclusion of the ‘A’ series, he is anticipated to rejoin the senior team for the second Test in Guwahati. This adjustment is part of India's strategic preparations for a pivotal two-Test series against the reigning World Test Champions. Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach of the Indian cricket team, confirmed that the management has a well-defined plan for the opening match. He stated, “I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of the combination.” Ten Doeschate indicated that the selection of the squad was influenced by the team’s balance and the conditions expected during the match.

He elaborated, “The primary thing is to set out a strategy to win the game. Nitish didn’t get much game time in Australia, and given the importance of this series and the conditions we expect, he might miss out this week.” The coach also confirmed that wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who has shown exceptional form, will be included in the playing eleven alongside Rishabh Pant.

Jurel has recently achieved consecutive centuries for India A against South Africa A, solidifying his position in the squad. India’s updated squad for the first Test includes Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain and wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and Akash Deep.

The forthcoming series against South Africa marks the visitors' first Test tour of India since 2019, when India secured a 3-0 victory. This two-Test series will be followed by three One-day Internationals and five Twenty20 Internationals. Both teams are looking to enhance their positions in the World Test Championship standings, making the upcoming matches highly competitive.