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'Stand Shoulder To Shoulder' - Former KKR Star On Comparison Between Hardik Pandya And Nitish Reddy

Nitish Reddy (L) and Aakash Chopra (R) [Source: @geosupertv/X and @ImTanujSingh/X]Nitish Reddy (L) and Aakash Chopra (R) [Source: @geosupertv/X and @ImTanujSingh/X]

Nitish Kumar Reddy grabbed the spotlight in the second T20I against Bangladesh, played in Delhi on October 9. His all-round performance with both bat and ball helped India secure a massive victory by 86 runs. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra believes that Nitish is being groomed as an all-rounder who can complement Hardik Pandya, a crucial player for India.

India batted first, but they quickly lost two wickets, which put the team under pressure. Nitish Kumar Reddy walked in at No. 4, and from there, the match took a positive turn. After a slow start, taking 13 deliveries for his first 13 runs, Nitish unleashed his power. He went on to score an impressive 74 off just 34 balls, hitting seven sixes and four boundaries. Along with Rinku Singh, Nitish added 108 runs for the fourth wicket, lifting India to a commanding total of 221 runs.

Nitish wasn’t done yet. His bowling was equally impressive, taking 2 wickets for 23 runs in his four overs. His all-round brilliance earned him the Player of the Match award, a notable achievement in only his second international game.

In his YouTube analysis, Aakash Chopra emphasised that Nitish’s promotion to No. 4 in the batting order was no coincidence. Chopra explained that the Indian team management is fast-tracking Nitish as a key all-rounder, similar to Hardik Pandya. 

"I would say this match was dedicated to Nitish Kumar Reddy. What was being tried? He was made to bat at No. 4. You get a chance to leave a good impression at No. 4. You don't get that number quickly. Riyan Parag or Rinku Singh could have got that number but the captain and coach asked Nitish Kumar Reddy to go there because they are fast-tracking him," said Chopra.

"They want an all-rounder who doesn't replace Hardik but can at least stand shoulder to shoulder with him so that he can be available when required. For that, he needed to perform well and you had to give him the position where he could have performed well." he added.

Chopra also highlighted how Nitish was trusted with the ball during crucial phases of the match. He bowled two overs at the start, much like Hardik Pandya in the previous game, and then returned to bowl the final overs, where he picked up wickets. This trust in both his batting and bowling shows that India is preparing him for bigger challenges.

Nitish Kumar Reddy Surpasses Yashasvi Jaiswal 

Nitish’s half-century came in just his second match at the age of 21 years and 136 days, making him the fourth-youngest Indian to score a T20I fifty, overtaking Yashasvi Jaiswal. His remarkable performance has already made him a player to watch for the future.

India will move to Hyderabad for the final match of the series on Saturday, October 12.