Will Nitish Kumar Reddy Play Today’s IPL Match Against Punjab Kings? Latest Update

Nitish Kumar Reddy IPL 2026 (Source: AFP)

Sunrisers Hyderabad will take on Punjab Kings in the 49th match of the IPL 2026. SRH had a disappointing performance in their previous match, losing by 7 wickets to Kolkata Knight Riders. Batting first, SRH managed to post a total of 166 runs. In response, KKR comfortably chased down the target in just 18.2 overs.

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings also suffered a 4-wicket defeat against Gujarat Titans in their last match. Batting first, Punjab set a good target of 164 runs, but Gujarat successfully chased it down in 19.5 overs. Suryanah Shedge impressed with 57 runs, while Marcus Stoinis played a fine innings of 40.

However, Punjab’s bowling attack struggled significantly, with only Vijaykumar Vyashak and Arshdeep Singh making an impact by taking two wickets each, while the rest of the bowlers failed to make a good impact.

Moreover, with the season approaching its business end, SRH captain Pat Cummins would hope to have all his match-winners fully fit and match-ready.

That being said, in this article, let’s explore whether the Hyderabad’ trusted allrounder, Nitish Reddy, will play in the SRH vs PBKS IPL match today.

What happened to Nitish Kumar Reddy?

Nitish Kumar Reddy missed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s IPL 2026 match against Kolkata Knight Riders due to illness, forcing SRH into a change for their home fixture in Hyderabad on May 3.

Pat Cummins confirmed the update at the toss after winning it and opting to bat first. Cummins said Nitish tried to make himself available for the match but could not recover in time.

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The update made it clear that Nitish was not dropped on form or left out for tactical reasons. His absence was a fitness-enforced call, with illness keeping him out of the playing XI.

Nitish’s absence is notable for SRH because he provides the side middle-order insurance and an all-round balance. For SRH, a team known for aggressive batting through Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, the all-rounder offers a stabilising batting option when the high-risk approach does not come off.

Thus, let’s look at what's the latest news on Nitish Kumar Reddy’s injury.

SRH head coach gives latest update on Nitish Reddy’s injury

Reddy is one of the mainstays of SRH in the ongoing IPL 2026. The batting all-rounder has improved his bowling, and it is clearly visible when he delivers a ball around 140 kmph.

Ahead of the SRH vs PBKS match, Daniel Vettori, the head coach of SRH, said that Reddy is not completely ruled out of the match. “I spoke to him this morning, and he's feeling a lot better. He's going to train today, but we don't foresee a situation where he won't play tomorrow,” the head coach told the media.