Suryakumar Yadav Stumps All With Playing XI Selection After Huge Injury Setback

India did not have the services of pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for the first T20I against Australia in Canberra, forcing the tourists to rejig their strategy for the series opener on Wednesday. In an update, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Nitish was ruled out for the first three T20Is, having complained of neck spasms ahead of the first match of the series. With Nitish out, India picked three spinners and two pacers in the playing XI, leaving many surprised.

"Nitish Kumar Reddy has been ruled out for the first three T20Is. The all-rounder, who was recovering from his left quadriceps injury sustained during the second ODI in Adelaide, complained of neck spasms, which has impacted his recovery and mobility. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring his progress," the BCCI said in an update.

Speaking at the toss, which Suryakumar lost, the India captain said that there was no space for the likes of Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Jitesh Sharma, Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Reddy in the team.

"We were looking to bat first. I mean, it looks like a good wicket. And I heard from our analysts that there have not been a lot of games played here. It might get slower in the second innings. So, yeah, we wanted to bat first. (On the prep for the series) Yeah, I mean, we were here three or four days before this game. Though it was cold yesterday and today. But today, it looks good. Hopefully, we'll have a good game. (On India's good run in T20 cricket) Yeah, I mean, they know what's to be done when they go inside. They know their roles really well. Have good responsibility on their shoulders. And they just enjoy the game. (On picking the XI) Big headache, yeah. It's a good headache. It's not a bad headache. It's a good headache to have. But yeah, good to have so many options. The guys who are missing out are Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep and Nitish," he said.

Considering the pitches in Australia are going to offer more assistance to pacers than spinners, Suryakumar's bowling combination was quite surprising.

Mitchell Marsh, who has won 18 tosses in T20Is, opted to bowl first.

"We are going to bowl first. It's a good surface. I think most times we come to Canberra, it's always a great surface, beautiful ground, and it's going to be a stellar crowd, so I'm looking forward to it. (On his side playing an aggressive brand of cricket) Yeah, as do India. I think both sides just pack a lot of power. As we know, India are the number one ranked side in the world for a reason, so I'm certainly up and about for the contest. (Build up to the World Cup) Yeah, it's exciting. I think all teams around the world now are really pushing their deal towards the World Cup, so we're excited to test ourselves against the number one-ranked side in the world. (Team combination) Eleven players - a few batters, a few bowlers, and a few all-rounders," he said.

**Australia Playing XI:** Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Josh Inglis (w), Tim David, Mitchell Owen, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Philippe, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Josh Hazlewood

**India Playing XI:** Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (w), Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Topics mentioned in this article

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