That Nitish Kumar Reddy, being one of only two players named in all three squads for the New Zealand tour, speaks volumes about how highly India rate his skills.It has also provided the team management with an opportunity to develop an alternative to the often-injured Hardik Pandya, who is not getting any younger. On his part, the 25-year-old has made useful contributions to justify the faith shown in him.Reddy bowled his full quota of four overs in the first T20I in Christchurch and was entrusted with the responsibility of delivering the 19th over. He conceded 12 runs in that over and finished with a joint-best economy rate of 10, alongside Mayank Yadav.In the second game, he was once again handed the ball in the 19th over. This time, he conceded just 14 runs and claimed a wicket. The right-hander later returned to stitch together an unbeaten 69-run partnership off 30 balls with Tilak Varma to steer India to victory from a difficult position. He finished unbeaten on 26 off 13 balls.Those two performances are a testament to his ever-improving skills as an allrounder. The team think tank has recognised his potential and has preferred him over Shivam Dube since the third T20I against the West Indies. While he cannot yet be put in the same league as Pandya, whose skill set remains superior to that of any other Indian allrounder, Reddy has age on his side and continues to improve both aspects of his game, besides being an excellent fielder.India bowling coach Morne Morkel believes Reddy has the skills to become the all-format allrounder India have been desperately searching for and one who could eventually emerge as Pandya’s successor.Morkel recently backed him publicly, stating that he is a player to “keep an eye on” and someone capable of producing a “magical ball” to unsettle batters.Reddy, too, does not shy away from questions about his credentials as an allrounder, nor does he shy away from putting in hard yards.“The amount of work I have to do is more than anyone else, on and off the field,” he said after the second game against New Zealand.Reddy made his Test debut during the 2024 tour of Australia and gave a good account of himself, including a century at the MCG against a bowling attack featuring Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.While he showed what he could do with the bat, his bowling lacked the much-needed zip required to cement a regular place in the XI as an allrounder. He addressed that shortcoming by working with Steffan Jones, a former county cricketer and now a fast-bowling and high-performance coach, shortly before the 2026 IPL.The results were there for everyone to see. His pace consistently touched the mid-130kph range, a significant improvement from the mid-120s he had been bowling before his sessions with Jones.Reddy’s biggest challenge, however, remains his fitness. He was set to travel to Zimbabwe for his maiden India call-up after the 2024 T20 World Cup, but a hernia injury scuppered those plans. Since then, he has spent considerable time on the sidelines with various injuries, including a freak gym accident in which he injured his left knee. Earlier this year, a quadriceps injury also ruled him out of the UK tour.With Reddy improving with every outing, the onus is now on the team management to use him judiciously and keep him fit and ready for the bigger challenges that lie ahead.
