Why is Nitish Kumar Reddy Not Playing Today in IND vs AFG 2nd ODI?

The Indian Cricket Team is locking horns with the Afghanistan Cricket Team in the 2nd ODI of the Afghanistan Tour of India 2026 at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow. The Indian Cricket Team has made sure to try all the combinations in this series across the departments, giving a chance to almost everyone in the squad.

The toss between the two was won by the visitors, where the Afghanistan cricket team elected to bowl first, and when the Indian skipper Shubman Gill announced the changes to the side, star all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was missing out of it, making fans curious to know the reason behind his absence after doing well in the 1st ODI.

Why is Nitish Kumar Reddy Not Playing Today?

The reason behind Nitish Kumar Reddy not playing today against Afghanistan in the 2nd ODI is his unavailability for selection in this match. Skipper Shubman Gill informed this during the toss, along with addressing his ongoing issues with his quad, which has eventually forced him to miss the IND vs AFG 2nd ODI.

The management doesn't want Nitish's injury to escalate much, which could rule him out for several days, and thus, they went on without him in the Playing XI, which provides him rest and time to work on his quad issues. However, the team management didn't go for a like-for-like replacement as the Indian top order batter, Yashasvi Jaiswal, was announced as Nitish Kumar Reddy replacement for this match, who could also bowl a few overs of leg spin if needed in the middle.

Nitish Kumar Reddy in 1st ODI Against Afghanistan

In a short match affected by rain in Dharamsala, Nitish Kumar Reddy, one of the best all-rounder in India, bowled really well and took 2 wickets for 31 runs. His best moment came when he bowled a perfect yorker to get out Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who had already scored a brilliant 102 runs.

Reddy also took another wicket by dismissing Mohammad Nabi. He didn’t get a chance to bat, as India’s top batsmen easily chased the 195-run target and won the match. However, after the end of the match, he also went viral online when he paused his press conference to take a phone call from his mother.