Concerns Over Nitish Kumar Reddy's Selection for Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Former BCCI selector MSK Prasad has voiced reservations regarding the inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy in India's squad for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Despite only having 21 first-class matches to his name, in which he has averaged a modest 21.45 with the bat, Reddy has been fast-tracked into the Test setup following his performances in IPL 2024 and T20 internationals.

Prasad cautioned against expecting Reddy to replicate the all-round capabilities of Hardik Pandya, stating, "I suppose because they picked him earlier and gave him a chance, they are confident about his batting and that he can bowl 8-10 overs like Hardik Pandya used to bowl. But he is not Hardik, who bowls at 140 [km/h]. He just bowls at 125 to 130 [km/h]."

While Reddy has shown promise, with 55 first-class wickets at an average of 26.01, Prasad highlighted his limited experience in red-ball cricket. "I am just a little concerned with his experience in red-ball cricket because he hasn't played the format enough. He did take about 25 wickets in a few of the last domestic seasons, but still, I'm concerned because of the kind of role we gave to Hardik back then after whatever Test cricket he had played," Prasad added.

Reddy's statistics, including a solitary century and a total of 708 runs, raise questions about his readiness for the Test arena. Prasad's worries echo the challenges faced by Hardik Pandya, who, after an impressive start, has not played red-ball cricket for over six years due to injuries and workload management issues.

As India prepares for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the decision to include Reddy in the Test squad reflects the selectors' confidence in his potential but also raises significant concerns about his ability to adapt to the rigors of the format at this early stage of his career.