Former India captain and chief of the selection committee Krishnamachari Srikkanth has questioned the inclusion of fast-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in the 15-player India squad for the One-Day International series against New Zealand.
Srikkanth questioned the selection, asking “how Reddy is looked at as an all-rounder” and claiming that “teams will smash him everywhere.”
“I am not sure what Nitish Kumar Reddy has done. How is he looked at as an all-rounder? He won’t be given the ball at all because teams will smash him everywhere. I don’t understand the logic behind this. How’s he a replacement for Hardik Pandya? Hardik Pandya can play in the eleven as a bowler, a batter, and as a fielder too,” said Srikkanth on his YouTube channel.
“Whereas, can Nitish Kumar Reddy fit into the team as a pure bowler? Will you ever give him three or four overs on the trot? Even if he has to bowl just five or six overs, how will he do it? There’s no scope,” he added.
Srikkanth suggested that Axar Patel could have been selected instead of Nitish Kumar Reddy.
“I don’t know how they keep pushing him as an all-rounder. I am not even sure his track record in domestic cricket is that good. Instead of Nitish Kumar Reddy, they could have picked Axar Patel. He’s also an all-rounder and is the vice-captain in T20Is as well. What mistake did Axar Patel make? He has been very good and consistent. Suddenly, you’ve left him out of the squad,” he said.
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has a different opinion on Nitish. Earlier on Saturday, he asked how India would prepare for the future if Nitish continues to warm the bench.
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“Ruturaj misses out because Iyer is back. So does Tilak because Gill is back. And that begs a question—why didn’t they play Pant at 4 when the opportunity presented itself vs SA? Since you’re continuing with him as a back-up keeper, it would’ve made a lot more sense to play him in Iyer’s absence,” Chopra wrote on X.
“Also, if NKR is indispensable…why doesn’t he get a game? Even when India’s fielding three pacers?? Will he get a game now?? With four pacers? How can you get future-ready (Pandya’s absence) when he’s always warming the bench?,” he added.
India Squad For New Zealand Series
India: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Shreyas Iyer (VC)*, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
