Mumbai, June 23 : India's preparations for the upcoming T20I assignments against Ireland and England have been dealt a setback after all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was ruled out due to injury. In his place, the national selectors have handed a maiden senior call-up to Mumbai all-rounder Suryansh Shedge, rewarding the 23-year-old for his impressive performances in domestic cricket and for India A.

Announcing the change, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Nitish would be unavailable for both series after sustaining an injury during India's recent ODI series against Afghanistan.

â??The Men's Selection Committee has named Suryansh Shedge as a replacement for Nitish Kumar Reddy in India's squads for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England. Nitish reported left quadriceps discomfort after the third ODI against Afghanistan on June 20. Following a subsequent medical assessment, the BCCI Medical Team has recommended a period of rehabilitation, ruling him out of both T20I series,â?? the board said in a statement.

Nitish's absence leaves India without one of their key seam-bowling all-round options at a time when the squad is already missing Hardik Pandya, who continues to recover from the injury he suffered during IPL 2026. The Andhra Pradesh all-rounder was expected to shoulder significant responsibility during the white-ball leg of the UK tour, particularly given his unique role in balancing the side. He remains the only seam-bowling all-rounder in India's ODI squad and one of only two such options in the T20I setup.

Shedge's promotion comes on the back of a consistent run across formats. The Mumbai cricketer recently featured for India A in the tri-series in Sri Lanka, where he played an important role in the team's title-winning campaign. Operating in the middle order, he accumulated 147 runs in five matches while also contributing with the ball, delivering 23 overs and claiming two wickets.

The BCCI highlighted the performances that earned Shedge his opportunity at the highest level.

â??Suryansh earned the call-up following a string of impressive performances for India A in the recently concluded tri-series in Sri Lanka. Batting in the middle order, the 23-year-old scored 147 runs in five matches and also chipped in with the ball, bowling 23 overs across the tournament. He was also one of the standout performers for Mumbai in their victorious Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign in 2024-25, scoring 131 runs at a strike rate of 251.92 in the lower middle order,â?? the statement read further.

A right-handed batter who bowls medium pace, Shedge first grabbed national attention during Mumbai's triumphant Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, where his explosive lower-order hitting proved decisive. Those performances earned him a Rs. 30 lakh contract with Punjab Kings at the IPL 2025 auction.

Although he was previously drafted into the IPL in 2023 as a replacement for Jaydev Unadkat at Lucknow Super Giants, he did not make an appearance that season. His breakthrough came with the Punjab Kings, where he has since featured across two IPL campaigns.

In 17 innings, Shedge has scored 165 runs at a strike rate of 163.36, while his IPL 2026 season was particularly encouraging, producing 158 runs from seven innings at an impressive strike rate of 175.55.

India will play two T20Is against Ireland in Belfast before heading to the UK for five T20Is and three ODIs.

/IANS