Nitish Kumar Reddy keeps things simple. Thrust into Hardik Pandya’s shoes for the short, rain-affected ODI opener in Dharamsala, the 20-year-old delivered 2 for 31 in four lively overs, including the dismissal that mattered most: Rahmanullah Gurbaz, bowled by a sharp inswinging yorker just after completing a run-a-ball 102. India chased 175 with seven wickets and 14 balls to spare, Shubman Gill’s measured 63 outstripping Gurbaz’s effort to give the hosts a 1–0 lead in the three-match series.
Reddy’s IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad hinted at this. He hit quick runs, hurried batters with the ball and, crucially, stayed fit. With Pandya still nursing his ankle, the selectors asked for a seam-bowling all-rounder; Reddy expected that phone call.
“Just simple. As I always keep telling myself, as an allrounder, I have to keep doing both the jobs for my team, then the team is going to be in a great position,” he said afterwards. “I just have to show up, captain gives me the ball or team needs some runs, I just have to show up there and show some intent in the field. That’s how I see it as an allrounder.”
Key facts
• Match reduced to 25 overs a side after morning rain.
• Afghanistan 174-6; Gurbaz 102, Reddy 2-31, Siraj 2-24.
• India 178-3; Gill 63, Kishan 44*, Noor 1-35.
• India lead series 1-0; next ODI in Delhi on Tuesday.
Preparation, he insists, is largely mental. Reddy spent the off-season with Steffan Jones, the well-regarded pace coach, ironing out run-up glitches and adding a yard of pace. Yet he circles back to attitude. “You’ve got to do something about your mindset,” he repeats. “In T20s, like IPL and all, because of the impact player, I was not able to do complete four overs. So I was preparing myself to, you know, [that I] shouldn’t be clueless when captain gives me the ball. I have to have some plans. If it’s not regularly bowling in matches, at least I would do my stuff in practise so I am ready at the right time.”
The Impact Player rule, he feels, can shrink an all-rounder’s runway. “For allrounders, it is a bit difficult because we always expect to get four overs [in T20s]. Even at first, one or two overs, if you get [hit], at least there will be two overs [left]; you can come back and you can give your effort. It used to be like that, but now if you bowl one or two overs bad, maybe that’s the end of the tournament also for some allrounders or bowlers. I would say when there is chance for the comeback – after one over, you have to come back and show up – that’s where players’ mindset determines everything. I believe bowlers should get four overs, and allrounders should get four overs. At least they need to get that experience.”
The ODI, therefore, suited him: one new ball each end, room for a short bouncer spell, and time to return for the yorker at the death. He hurried Hazratullah Zazai with lift outside off, but the highlight was that stump-splattering yorker to Gurbaz, angled in at around 137kph. The ball was 22 overs old by then, which is where Reddy’s obsessive length practice kicked in. “We all got skills, that’s why we’re here. But it’s about the mindset which you present over there,” he said. “You need to be strong, because the ball will be old after 20 overs [in ODIs] and you need to bowl those tight lengths with five fielders in and it’s just, you need to come back and hit the top of off and you know what the plan is, and it all depends on the situation, you know. You have to use the situation according to you and you have to improve and get some wickets over there. That’s how we prepare ourselves.”
Afghanistan could take heart from Gurbaz’s hundred – crisp drives through cover, calmer rotation than we’ve sometimes seen – and from Noor Ahmad’s dismissals of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli with subtle wrist-spin. But they were 23-for-3 inside six overs and never quite regained the momentum.
Former India quick Zaheer Khan, on television duty, liked what he saw from the youngster. “He’s added pace without losing shape,” Khan noted. “That comes from doing the hard yards in the nets – but also from understanding when to bang it in and when to pitch it up.”
India’s think-tank will now decide whether to keep the same XI in Delhi. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami were rested for this fixture; both remain available if the team believes extra experience is needed. For now, though, Reddy occupies Pandya’s slot confidently enough that the management can continue spreading the workload. A bit raw, yes, but that’s no crime in June, eighteen months out from the Champions Trophy.
The player himself is keen to stay grounded. He talked of bowling “a little bit [more] pace” soon and of hunting lower-order runs if the chance arises. But mostly, he returned to the head game. “It all depends on the situation; you have to use the situation according to you,” he said. For a young all-rounder making his way in international cricket, that sounds like the right starting point.
