Indian cricket has always romanticized the idea of the seam-bowling all-rounder. Kapil Dev made it folklore. Hardik Pandya modernized it. Every generation now goes searching for the next dual-threat who can balance XIs and win matches twice over. Nitish Kumar Reddy was supposed to be part of that lineage, a medium-fast bowler with batting pedigree and composure beyond his years. But cricket is brutally honest with timelines. Potential doesn’t get unlimited extensions.
After an underwhelming outing in the second ODI against New Zealand in Rajkot on January 14, 20 off 21 balls and a tidy-looking but misleading 0–13 from two overs, patience finally snapped, not among fans, but inside the dressing room. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate’s post-match assessment wasn’t cruel; it was clinical. Opportunities, he implied, were being wasted.
Overs Given, Control Never Earned: Economy of 7.40 in ODIs
One popular defense for Reddy’s ODI struggles is underutilization. However, bowling fewer overs doesn’t automatically equate to bowling well. Across three ODIs, Reddy has delivered just 7.1 overs, not because captains forgot him, but because the game moved faster than he could control.
An economy rate of 7.40 for a sixth bowling option is an alarm bell, not a footnote. In 43 deliveries, he’s conceded three sixes and two fours while producing just 15 dot balls. That’s not containment; that’s invitation. Without pace to hurry batters or movement to deceive them, his lines have been easy to line up.
Shubman Gill’s reluctance to return to him in Rajkot, even when other plans failed, said more than any press conference could. At the international level, overs aren’t handed out; they’re earned ball by ball.
Batting Returns Since Melbourne Peak: 103 runs at 10.30 post-Boxing Day
The irony is that Reddy’s decline begins exactly where his legend started the Boxing Day Test hundred in Melbourne during the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Before that innings, he averaged a staggering 58.60 from his first six Test knocks. Since then? Reality has struck hard.
In his next 10 Test innings, he’s crossed 30 just twice. Six times he’s failed to reach double figures. The total return since that iconic hundred: 103 runs at an average of 10.30.
India even persisted with him in home Tests, prioritizing development over in-form bench options, a rare luxury in modern selection. The reward was thin. A duck against South Africa in Guwahati summed up a season where promise never translated into pressure-handling performances.
All-Rounder Without Bowling Impact: Test bowling average of 45.75
This is where the issue turns structural. Reddy’s value lies in balancing relieving frontline bowlers while offering batting depth. But after 10 Tests and over 80 overs, that promise remains largely theoretical.
He’s been wicketless in nine of his 15 bowling innings. He’s bowled more than 10 overs in an innings just twice. An average of 45.75 and an economy north of four in most spells suggest neither penetration nor control.
In an Indian Test side stacked with bowling all-rounders Jadeja, Ashwin (when available), Axar, even part-time seamers’ spells must justify themselves. Reddy hasn’t yet forced captains to keep him on. Instead of easing pressure, he’s added to selection headaches.
Key Takeaway
Potential earns selection once performance earns it again.
FAQs
- What triggered criticism of Nitish Kumar Reddy?
Underwhelming all-round returns in Tests and ODIs, capped by a poor outing against New Zealand and public comments from the coaching staff.
- Why hasn’t he been trusted with longer bowling spells?
High economy, lack of wickets, and limited control have discouraged captains from persisting with him.
- How can Reddy revive his India career?
By delivering decisive impact in at least one discipline consistently, ideally both, starting at the domestic or A-team level.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.
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