As ODI World Cup approaches, the Hardik Pandya problem India hopes Nitish Kumar Reddy can solve

Nitish Kumar Reddy (left) could play a similar role to Hardik Pandya’s (right) for India in ODI cricket. | Photo Credit: PTI, Vijay Soneji

Nitish Kumar Reddy was supposed to travel to the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 but, in a late tweak, was withdrawn from the Japan-bound T20I squad and added to the ODI team that plays three games against the West Indies starting Sunday.

“From Nitish’s point of view, it’s actually a great thing that he’s been withdrawn from the T20 format, and he’ll get game time against the West Indies as well,” head coach Gautam Gambhir said after the recently held Afghanistan T20I series.

“We know how important a seam-bowling all-rounder will probably be in a year when we go to South Africa. And once Hardik comes back, obviously it’s going to be good,” Gambhir added.

“Sometimes we could even go on to play both of them in the playing XI,” Gambhir said.

Having a genuine pace-bowling all-rounder is a luxury, and for the longest time India has had the privilege of having Hardik Pandya at its disposal in that role. 

Hardik Pandya in ODIs

Matches: 94

Innings batted: 68

Runs: 1904

Best: 92 not out

Average: 32.82

Strike Rate: 110.89

Innings bowled: 88

Wickets: 91

Best: 4/24

Average: 35.50

Economy: 5.60

However, owing to his recurring injuries and workload management, Pandya hasn’t featured in the 15 ODIs since last appearing in the Champions Trophy final in March 2025.

The intensity and demands of international cricket have worn him down frequently, including during the 2023 World Cup, where he was injured in the league stage. Without a pace-bowling all-rounder as a backup, India missed him considerably for the rest of the campaign.

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Hence, there is a need to find someone who can replicate what Pandya offers: depth.

In Nitish, India has found a player with great potential to succeed the Baroda-born all-rounder. He is still 23 and developing. But Pandya’s frequent absence has given India a chance to develop Nitish. 

The idea of Hardik Pandya

Making his ODI debut in 2017, Pandya solved a missing piece of the puzzle for India – a power-hitting lower-order batter and a pacer capable of bowling 10 overs.

Over the years, he developed both skills almost simultaneously, giving India genuine depth in both departments rather than an illusion of it.

For instance, in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL), Pandya slotted into the Gujarat Titans’ middle order, showcasing his ability as a genuine batter. His middle-order batting did not necessarily mean he would occupy the same role with India. What mattered was the idea that India possessed a genuine batter in the lower middle order – a cushion every side wants to have.

Even with his bowling, Pandya has mostly operated as a first- or second-change bowler. His ability to swing the ball and bowl at around 134 kmph, however, makes him an option India can rely on when needed.

Depth.

His all-round development and his ability to consistently make an impact in both disciplines is a skill set not many have been able to replicate in modern-day cricket. Hence, he is a luxury as well as a privilege.

Successor

India has already seen a glimpse of Nitish across formats. He showcased his batting talent with a Test century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-25. In the T20 format as well, Nitish has displayed his six-hitting ability and his flexibility in batting positions. 

Nitish Kumar Reddy scored a dazzling century for India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2024-25. | Photo Credit: AP

In Pandya’s absence, Nitish made his ODI debut in 2025, but India is yet to consistently use him in the role it eventually wants him to occupy.

In six games, Nitish has scored 100 runs in four innings at a strike rate of just over 101. He has twice batted at No.8, once at six, and one time at seven. His lone half-century came batting at six. 

With the ball, however, Nitish is yet to complete his full quota of 10 overs in an ODI. His most in a game is eight, against South Africa, while he has bowled five or more overs only twice in six matches. He has taken two wickets so far.

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But there’s a willingness to keep upgrading in Nitish. During IPL 2026, he worked on his bowling speed and touched the 140 kmph mark on multiple occasions. But he bowled only 10 overs across two ODIs during the Afghanistan ODIs in June and was ruled out ahead of the ODI series against England in July. 

With his body still developing, and yet to fully gain the trust of team management, Nitish remains a prospect who is being moulded around the idea of Pandya. It hasn’t helped that he himself has been prone to injuries in his relatively short career.

“I think he (Nitish) is a very talented guy when it comes to batting, bowling and fielding, and he always wants to be the guy who wants to create opportunities, and having that mindset is fantastic,” bowling coach Morne Morkel said on Friday. 

“The role that we want him to play in certain situations is how we can ask him to be as consistent as possible. We need to give him those opportunities to learn and grow. Luckily, we do have a bit of time now, and it will be great for Indian cricket if we can develop him so that he can compete for that all-rounder spot.”

With the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind, taking him out of the Asian Games squad seems like the correct decision. Pandya’s return date is still unclear, and it is also unclear whether he will eventually play the marquee tournament in October and November in Africa. Hence, Nitish’s journey will be a key subplot over the next year.

India would want him to bat at No. 6 or 7 and bowl at least seven to eight overs at good pace across different phases every game. Despite all the exuberance and flashiness Pandya provided, he understood his role as a holding bowler well. If Nitish can perform that job at almost similar capacity over the next 12 months, India would be in much better shape as it attempts to end its 16-year ODI World Cup trophy drought.

Published on Sep 26, 2026

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