‘Hardik can’t bowl 10 overs’: Coach Gambhir explains Nitish Kumar Reddy’s ODI selection
India’s Hardik Pandya, left, and head coach Gautam Gambhir before the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 final cricket match between India and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil) NEW DELHI: In the last few series across formats, India have rarely finished with the same personnel they started with. Injuries, breakdowns and availability issues have crippled the team’s leadership in key roles. While they managed to maneuver through the shortest format, they felt the heat in Tests and ODIs. From the home ODIs against Afghanistan to the away series in England and the two crucial Tests in Sri Lanka, the think tank has consistently had no opportunity to field its strongest XI, which has also forced uncertainty to creep into the set-up.Key decision makers have repeatedly emphasized how unfair it is to players who step in in crisis situations only to make way for runners when they return to fitness. Not only does this rob them of consistent playing time to grow and thrive in their respective roles, it also causes unwanted movement in the Playing XI, hardly allowing for stability to become the much-needed norm.Take the case of Nitish Kumar Reddy for example.He is being groomed for the role of bowling all-rounder but will have to give up his place whenever Hardik Pandya regains fitness. Reddy spent hours working on his bowling, something the management wanted him to improve, and the gains showed in the three-T20I series against Afghanistan, where he took three wickets in the second and third matches.With Pandya still some time away from international action, the selectors even took the bold call of withdrawing Reddy from the Asian Games squad to give him more playing time in ODIs with an eye on next year’s FIFA World Cup. The plan is simple: get Reddy to dominate as many overs as possible in international cricket and allow him ample opportunities to grow into the role.“We want to expose him to most of the internationals because we know how important he is. Whether it’s in the 50-over format or going forward in T20s because there aren’t many guys around who can bowl and who can bat in the middle order. So that’s a huge positive, the way he’s bowled in this series. Obviously the more we didn’t start in the first game, in international cricket, the more you improve and that’s what he showed today,” said head coach Gautam Gambhir when asked about Reddy’s bowling in the series.Gambhir claimed that Reddy’s withdrawal from the Asian Games is good for him as it allows him to get more playing time and also helps the management secure options for a key slot. India haven’t had the luxury of the skills that Reddy brings and the decision makers want to use him judiciously.“So firstly, from Nitish’s point of view, it’s actually a great thing that he has been withdrawn from the T20 format and he will get game time against the West Indies as well. We know how important the seam-bowling all-rounders will be, probably a year from now when we go to South Africa,” Gambhir said.
Hardik Pandya (AFP photo)
But what happens when Pandya, who has been named in the India A team, gets ready for international cricket again?Will Reddy be benched, making all his hard work and playing time meaningless?Team management has faced similar situations with multiple players before, but remains cautious about the effect it could have on individuals. Gambhir offered reassurance by being open to the idea of even fielding both Reddy and Pandya in the playing XI.“The more the merrier,” Gambhir said, before adding: “Once Hardik comes back, of course it will be good. Sometimes we might continue to play both players in the 11. Hardik, at the moment, if he can’t bowl 10 overs and hasn’t played much cricket since the IPL, we don’t want to push him into your international cricket because it can be extremely difficult.“So if he plays that India A series, he will get some game time as well. And that was a clear message to him: If he can play that A series, and if everything goes well, he can come back and be part of the T20s and the one-day team as well.”Reddy missed the tours to Ireland and England after picking up an injury in the ODI against Afghanistan earlier this year. He has shown exciting progress with a drastic improvement in his bowling and has certainly come back fit and more aware of his body after his recent injury. The hard work at the BCCI CoE was reflected in the way he bowled during the series, even in batting-friendly conditions. The Pandya situation is frustrating for the think tank but works perfectly for Reddy.
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