Batting great Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy after his match-winning performance against Afghanistan in the second T20I. The fast-bowling all-rounder has been troubled by injuries in recent times, putting his place under scrutiny, but the team management continues to see him as a long-term option to replace Hardik Pandya. Nitish repaid that faith on Tuesday, making an impact with the ball as he picked up three wickets to help India secure a convincing win over Afghanistan.
Gavaskar also reflected on Nitish’s early days in the IPL, when he was primarily seen as a batter before gradually developing into a genuine all-round option. The former India opener believes the signs were already visible in his first season, particularly when Nitish was given the ball towards the end of matches.
“Nitish Kumar Reddy is a very fine prospect. When he started in the IPL, he wasn’t much of a bowler then, in that first year before he went to Australia. He was more of a batter. The batting technique was very good. A couple of overs he bowled towards the end of that first season, that’s where he looked as if he could be a very fine all-round cricketer,” the former India opener said on Sony Sports Network.
Nitish has gradually grown into a genuine all-round option for India since making his international debut in 2024. He has featured across all three formats, playing 10 Tests, six ODIs and six T20Is, scoring 396, 100 and 90 runs respectively, while taking 13 wickets. The 23-year-old has shown flashes of his ability with both bat and ball, including a maiden Test century in Australia, although injuries have interrupted his progress at times.
Gavaskar also stressed the need for patience when it comes to developing India’s next generation of all-rounders, pointing to Venkatesh Iyer and Suryansh Shedge as two promising names. He believes young players need time and backing to develop rather than being rushed into the national setup.
“Venkatesh Iyer, Suryansh Shedge – these are all promising all-rounders, and they have to be given the opportunity to develop. Don’t rush them in. Develop them and also at the same time, encourage them when they don’t have a good match,” he added.
“Encourage them to take their bowling a bit seriously”
The former India skipper also believes India’s young all-rounders should give more attention to their bowling, even if batting remains their primary role in the team. He feels developing that side of their game and thinking more like bowlers could make them more complete players and give India more options.
“These are the guys you want to keep an eye on. Help them and encourage them to take their bowling also a little bit seriously because they are primarily in the team as batters. Sometimes when you are in the team primarily as batters, you tend to think as batters. If you start to think a little bit like bowlers, they will be absolutely fantastic, and India then has the options,” he observed.
