In a significant turn of events, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has made a bold move just days ahead of the first Test match between India and South Africa. They've decided to trim the 15-man squad down to 14 by releasing Nitish Kumar Reddy. Earlier today, India’s assistant coach hinted that Nitish wouldn’t make the playing XI in Kolkata, as Rishabh Pant is set to join the team, with Dhruv Jurel stepping in as a specialist batter. Nitish Reddy to Feature for India A Under Tilak Instead of letting him sit on the bench, the management seems to have made a smart choice by including him in the upcoming 3-match 50-over series against South Africa A. Following some online buzz, the BCCI confirmed the news. It appears that Nitish has already linked up with India A in Rajkot, where they’re gearing up to face a formidable South Africa A team. Under the leadership of Tilak Varma, India A is looking quite impressive. Nitish’s recent weeks have been tough due to injuries. He performed well in the ODI series against Australia but missed out on the T20I series. A quadriceps injury sidelined him for the first three matches, and neck spasms complicated his recovery. Now, rather than sticking to red-ball cricket, the Indian management is opting for a more sensible approach. With Nitish now part of the India A squad, he’s likely to play, which means either Nishant Sindhu or Manav Suthar might miss out on the XI. Read also: Eden Gardens on High Alert Ahead of India vs South Africa Test After Delhi Blast Another reason why moving Nitish to the ‘A’ side makes sense is that there aren’t any Tests on the horizon. He was expected to develop into an all-format pace-bowling all-rounder during the last Test series against the West Indies, but he only bowled four overs across two Tests, which limited his impact. So, instead of keeping him on the sidelines, it’s a smart decision by the With Hardik Pandya's history of injuries, India is counting on Reddy to be prepared for any challenge that comes his way. So far, he’s only played two ODIs, and it would really benefit him to get some solid 50-over matches under his belt with India A. On another note, Nitish is set to join the India Test squad for the second Test in Guwahati, which kicks off on November 22. India’s Updated Test Squad Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj Bench: Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal, Axar Patel