The importance of a pace bowling all-rounder in New Zealand is not lost on any team from the sub-continent. The player lends balance in both batting and bowling and it is why Nitish Kumar Reddy finds himself in all three India squads —T20, ODI and Test— for the tour of New Zealand, which begins with T20Is.
In a sense, this tour is crucial for both Reddy and India. The Men in Blue need an alternative to their first-choice pace all-rounder Hardik Pandya and the 23-year-old talented cricketer needs to prove he deserves that backing.
Reddy, though, is yet to prove himself as a premier all-rounder. For someone who has started his international cricket in 2024 with scores of 41 and 38* at Perth, 42 and 42 in his two innings at Adelaide Oval, 114 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, against an attack which had Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, there’s no doubting his batting potential.
But after raising expectations, his performances haven’t quite matched up. Injuries have hindered his progress, but even when available, he has not been an automatic choice.
It has become clear: he can’t be played as a specialist batter; he only fits into the Test XI if he is also bowling well.
Since the five Tests on his debut Australia tour, he has played five more matches (two in England and three in India); the highest score in these five Tests was 43 against West Indies in October 2025. In 10 Tests, he has 396 runs at an average of 26.40.
His best bowling effort has been 2/62 in 17 overs against England at Lord’s in July 2025, one of only two times the captain used him for more than 10 overs in an innings. The other time he was trusted with bowling more than 10 overs was in Brisbane in 2024, when he bowled 13 overs for 1/65, getting the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne.
The five-match T20I series will be first up in NZ. In nine T20Is Reddy has played so far since making his debut in 2024, his best in batting has been an effort of 34-ball 74 against Bangladesh at Delhi, in October 2024.
In NZ, he has amends to make. In T20Is, his bowling has been used more regularly and he has shown the knack of providing breakthroughs.
But everyone’s focus is now on ODIs. In the build-up for the 2027 World Cup in Africa, the team management is relying on Reddy to be their main all-rounder in case Pandya is unavailable. He has played only eight ODIs, but the team used him more in 2026, playing six of the eight.
He is being tested as a bowler. After giving a decent eight-over effort against New Zealand in Indore at the start of the year, he was given six, five and 6.5 overs in his last three ODIs.
The Indian team is looking for an all-rounder who provides the X-factor. Reddy hasn’t reached that level yet, but can the NZ tour help him take the next step and develop into a gamechanger?
“Eventually, he will evolve (into a match-winner). More importantly, the team management and him, all of them, should understand what exactly his role is. Is he just a stop-gap bowler or does he have a more important role?,” said former chairman of selectors, MSK Prasad who spotted Reddy at age 12 and took him under his wing at the Andhra Cricket Association’s residential cricket academy programme.
“In away conditions, his role might change. So, he should understand that role and then, play to his potential,” says Prasad.
And looking specifically from the New Zealand tour point of view, how important is this tour for Reddy?
“It is going to be very important because he is picked for all three formats now,” said Prasad. “And more importantly, with Pandya being out because of injury, it clearly shows that he is the next best all-rounder available in the country. So, that itself is a big boost for him to make a mark for himself.”
Prasad vouches for his player’s temperament under pressure and expectations. But ultimately it is about the skill-set.
“As far as batting is concerned, we already saw him getting a century in Melbourne (Test match). And, from a bowling point of view also, he has improved his pace. Earlier, his pace was hardly in the 120s, but he has reached the 140s, which is a good sign. I think he will definitely be a big asset. That is the reason why selectors are backing him in all three formats.”
