Mayank Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy Make Their Debuts for India in First T20I vs Bangladesh

Indian pace sensation Mayank Yadav and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy are set to make their debuts for the Indian Cricket Team as the Men in Blue take on Bangladesh in the first of three T20Is today in Gwalior.

After the toss in Gwalior, which was won by Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav who opted to bowl first, it was revealed that the two young talents were included in India’s playing XI.

“We’ll look to bowl first. Looks humid, don’t think the wicket will change later on. Always a great feeling coming back home and playing in home conditions. We are really excited for that. There’s a lot of talent involved in the group. The energy is great and most importantly, the guys are keen to learn. That’s a great thing,” stated Suryakumar in the post-toss interview.

The Delhi-based LSG pacer Mayank earned his maiden India call-up for the Bangladesh series after making headlines in IPL 2024. The right-arm pacer bowled in excess of 150 kmph for the KL Rahul-led side in the 2024 edition of the cash-rich league. He, however, missed the majority of the season due to injury. But now, after recovering well, he is finally set to make his international debut for India.

On the other hand, it has been a long time coming for Andhra-based all-rounder Nitish Reddy, who after his unfortunate missed opportunity to make his debute for India earlier this year will now finally get to don the crest and represent the nation.

After years of patience, sacrifice, and hard work, came the day when Mutyala’s son, Nitish Kumar Reddy broke into the Indian team. The all-rounder from Andhra received a maiden call-up following a stellar IPL season playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. But how cruel life could be? Days after being named in India’s squad for the Zimbabwe tour, a hernia niggle denied him the chance to play for the country.

Now, he gets his chance to exercise his demons and make the best of his opportunity.

India’s Playing XI for 1st T20I vs Bangladesh:

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Suryakumar Yadav(c), Nitish Reddy, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav