He scored 20 runs off 21 balls and went wicketless from two overs in IND vs NZ 2nd ODI.
India assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate offered a straightforward evaluation of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy after the team’s seven-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the second ODI at Rajkot on Wednesday. Batting at No. 8, Reddy managed 20 runs off 21 balls and went wicketless in two overs, conceding 13 runs at a 7.50 economy rate. This performance raised questions about his impact as a young player.
Nitish Reddy has been encouraged by the assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate to make the most of his limited chances representing India.
“With Nitish, we keep talking about developing him and getting him game time and then when you do get him game time, he often ends up not doing a heck of a lot in the games,” ten Doeschate said at the post-match press conference. You really have to take those chances to push your case to be selected.”
Nitish Kumar Reddy showed promise during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 and was fast-tracked into the India squad for the T20I and Test formats. He made his ODI debut during the India white-ball tour of Australia in October 2025. However, the all-rounder hasn’t been quite able to leave his mark and cement his place in the India setup in any format.
ALSO READ:
Three months back, after the first Test between India and West Indies, the Doeschate had said the objective with Nitish is to “develop a seam-bowling allrounder for India.”
In three ODIs, Nitish Kumar Reddy, batting at No. 7-8, has amassed 47 runs at a modest average of 23.5 with a strike rate of 111.9. As a bowler, he is yet to pick up a wicket despite bowling 7.1 overs and leaking runs at an economy rate of 7.39.
In Tests, Nitish Kumar Reddy has 396 runs over 10 matches with an average of 26.4, including a century on Boxing Day against Australia. But hasn’t been able to crossthe 50-run mark in the other 15 innings while batting at No. 7 to 9. His bowling performances aren’t encouraging, with eight wickets from 86 overs at an average of 45.75 and an economy of 4.25.
These high averages and economy highlight a serious problem of a lack of control and knack of taking wickets. Even on pace-friendly pitches in Australia and England (10 Tests), he has bowled 10+ overs in a match only twice, raising concerns about providing a breather to specialist pacers.
In contrast, Reddy boasts slightly better numbers in T20Is, across both batting and bowling. He has scored 90 runs in three innings at an average of 45 and a strike rate of 180, along with three wickets from nine overs with an economy rate of 7.88.
With Hardik Pandya established as India’s first-choice allrounder, the team management considers Nitish Kumar Reddy as an important backup option. In case Hardik Pandya gets injured, or team management opts to manage his workload, Reddy could step into the team to fulfil a similar role.
Nitish Kumar Reddy could share the finishing duties alongside KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja while offering a cushion of a few overs of seam bowling, which is important for the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, where pitches usually favour pacers. Consistent performance with both bat and ball would strengthen his position and boost his confidence, while lacklustre performances may hinder India’s plan for the ICC event.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
