Mumbai: When Nitish Kumar Reddy broke onto the international scene in 2024, he was mainly a specialist batter who scored a terrific Test hundred at Melbourne. But given the India team’s need, he realised the importance of being an allrounder and got serious about working on his bowling skills.
Ahead of the ODI series against Afghanistan, which has kicked off India’s preparation for the 2027 ODI World Cup, bowling coach Morne Morkel touched upon Reddy’s improvement as a bowler. Reddy lived up to expectations, taking two prized scalps in the first game at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Saturday.
Finding a quality pace bowling all-rounder has been on the Indian team management’s wishlist.
Reddy’s batting potential was never in doubt, and how he shapes up as a bowler is being keenly followed. The effort to improve bowling skills is showing results – he is sharper, more accurate, and has added more variations.
Reddy said after Saturday’s game: “I figured out that I am a front on bowler, and (it was about) working on the stride lengths to get quicker in the run-up. It is working. I changed my bowling action a little bit. It is coming good.
“There are some more improvements that I have to do and we are working on it. Hopefully, in future you can see me bowling with a little more pace.”
The proof of his improved bowling is that captains feel more confident in using him. In this year’s IPL, he bowled the most overs in a season – 31. It is a marked improvement from his previous three seasons, where the most he had bowled was 13.1 overs, in 2024.
After his bowling in Dharamsala, skipper Shubman Gill’s confidence in Reddy will have only gone up.
In Dharamsala, India’s main challenge came against Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz. He was treating all the bowlers with disdain on the way to a spectacular 102. Gill introduced Reddy as a last resort, in the 14th over. After a tidy first over, he produced the ball of the match, nailing an in-swinging yorker to hit the base of the middle-stump.
Once Gurbaz fell as the fourth wicket on the total of 142 (15.3 overs), Afghanistan lost momentum and were bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs.
With the India bowlers coming under pressure in the middle overs, Reddy produced a fine bowling show. He struck another crucial blow, dismissing seasoned allrounder Mohammed Nabi to finish with 2/31 in four overs.
It showed Reddy can be an attacking option as well. In the previous ODI at Indore against New Zealand, Gill had used him for eight overs. With his ability to swing the ball, he is more useful in seaming conditions.
Given the 2027 ODI World Cup is in South Africa, most venues will have conditions similar to Dharamsala, where pace and bounce were on offer.
Saturday’s performance will give the team management a lot of confidence looking at Reddy as Pandya’s back-up, or if they want to play them together.
“It’s simple: I keep telling myself, as an allrounder I have to do both the jobs for my team, that’s when the team is going to be in a great position. I have to just show up when captain gives me the ball, have to show intent on the field, that’s how I see (the role) as an allrounder,” Reddy told the media after the game.
The difference Hardik Pandya has made in recent big ICC tournaments, whenever available, proves the value of a good all-rounder.
But the risk is India has been overdependent on Hardik, who comes from Baroda. Having a back-up is important and Reddy is being groomed for that vital role.
