Even if Nitish Reddy fails, the management should persist with him: Irfan Pathan

Former Indian all-rounder and commentator Irfan Pathan has heaped praise on the all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for his all-round performance in the third and final ODI against New Zealand, in Indore.

While Reddy bowled a total of eight overs in the third ODI, he went on to score a half-century with the bat in the second innings. However, India suffered a 41-run defeat to end the three-match series 1-2.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan asserted that Reddy’s pace of 135kph and his fifty-run knock impressed him, suggesting that the Indian team management should persist with him for a longer period of time. 

"Nitish Kumar Reddy was positive. He scored a fifty with the bat, and Reddy played instead of Washington Sundar in Rajkot. I felt he should have played from the first game. The way he batted, Reddy showed he had the potential to play big shots and could rotate strike. Reddy was also involved in good partnerships in both games,” Irfan Pathan said on his YouTube Channel. 

“Reddy can play those big shots easily, whether it's the pull shot or playing straight. The way Nitish Kumar Reddy bowled, he touched speeds of 135. It's a decent speed, and it shows he has the potential to be Hardik Pandya's backup. Even if Reddy fails, the management should persist with him, and India will eventually get a good all-rounder," he added.

Making his international debut in 2024, Reddy finished the calendar year with an exceptional century against Australia Down Under in the longest format of the game at the MCG in the Boxing Day Test. 

While he scored 396 runs and scalped eight wickets in 10 Tests, he went on to score 90 runs and picked up three wickets in four T20Is. In four ODIs, he has racked up 100 runs without picking up a wicket.

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