India recently took on Australia away from home in the 2024/25 Border Gavaskar Trophy series. And while the Indian Cricket Team might have lost the series 3-1 there were some silver linings in the dark clouds that circled them in Australia. And perhaps the biggest one of them was Nitish Kumar Reddy. The rise of the Indian all-rounder was phenomenal right from the First Test.
He even managed to score a top-class century in the series and piled on many crucial runs for India. While he may not have made crucial contributions with the ball he certainly showed the whole country what he is capable of. But just after his stellar performances put him into the spotlight, Sanjay Bangar, India’s former batting coach has said a lot of negative things about Nitish Kumar Reddy. About how the 21-year-old may not be ready to be a part of the Indian setup in all formats.
When asked whether he believes Nitish Kumar Reddy could get a spot in India’s squad against England in the upcoming T20I series, Sanjay Bangar stated, “It’s still early days for me. Here is a chance for you, if you cast your mind back over the last 10-12 years, who was the guy who did that job really well? Irfan Pathan is the one who comes to mind, who bowled with the new ball or one change, and who also gave you runs whenever required. Irfan came out of the under-19 system. Nitish is not somebody who has come out of the under-19 system. He is past that stage. For me, he is an extremely critical member of the overseas Test matches. I don’t think he will find a place either in the 50-over or the T20 format or, for that matter, even in home Test matches.”
On how Nitish Kumar Reddy could improve and make himself important for the Indian Cricket Team, Sanjay Bangar expressed, “However, here is a player who can give you ideal balance for your overseas Test matches and that’s where the real value is,” before further adding that the SRH all-rounder shall give more time at the NCA. Bangar said, “That’s where not necessarily travelling with the Indian team, but whenever he is off national duty and off his state duty, the National Cricket Academy has got a massive role to play in terms of getting him up to that workload to bowl 10 or 15 overs really with penetration, and that’s an opportunity which is very, very enticing.”
Do you feel like Sanjay Bangar is wrong about Nitish Kumar Reddy? And that the latter would one day make a great all-format player for the country? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
