Shivam Dube to replace Nitish Kumar Reddy for rest of T20I series against England, claim reports

New Delhi: All-rounder Shivam Dube, who was part of the World Cup-winning team last year, has been added to India's T20I squad for the ongoing five-match series against England by the senior selection committee. Dube will be joining the Indian squad in Rajkot. The Indian Express reported that Dube has been brought in as a replacement for the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy, whose recovery is still in progress.

Dube represented Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir, but his performance was underwhelming at the Bandra Kurla Complex, where he was dismissed for a duck in both innings, contributing to Mumbai’s heavy defeat. Initially, Dube wasn’t selected for the Indian T20 team, as the selectors had opted for Reddy and Hardik Pandya as the two all-rounders.

However, Dube has now fully recovered from a back injury that had sidelined him during the initial phase of the Ranji Trophy. He later regained fitness in time for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he played for Mumbai and helped the team win the title.

India triumphed in the opening game against England at Eden Gardens and will face off in the second match in Chennai on Saturday. The third T20I is set for Tuesday in Rajkot, followed by the fourth game on Friday in Pune. The final T20I will take place in Mumbai on Sunday, February 2.