Dube set to replace injured Reddy for remainder of T20I series vs England

Mumbai: Mumbai all-rounder Shivam Dube is set to replace Nitish Kumar Reddy in the Indian squad for the last three T20 Internationals against England after the young power-hitter sustained a side strain.

An official communication is still awaited but according to BCCI sources, the 21-year-old Reddy could require around four weeks of rest and rehabilitation before he can come back to competitive cricket.

This could effectively mean that Reddy's comeback will happen only during the Indian Premier League for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Incidentally, the last time Reddy was forced out of the Indian team due to injury was during his maiden T20I tour of Zimbabwe and even then it was Dube, who had replaced him.

Dube is expected to link up with the national squad before the third T20I in Rajkot on January 28.

The imposing big-hitter, who last played for India during the series against Sri Lanka in July last year, had a layoff due to a back injury and recently returned to domestic cricket after rehabilitation.

The 31-year-old didn't find a place in the squad against England because of Reddy's recent exploits. He was part of the Mumbai team that lost to Jammu and Kashmir in a Ranji Trophy match on Saturday, bagging a "pair" (duck in both innings) during the game.

He has so far played 33 T20Is, scoring 448 runs at a strike rate of nearly 135. He has picked up 11 wickets with his military medium pace bowling.