Sunrisers Hyderabad and Andhra Pradesh all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is likely to be considered for a spot in the Indian ODI team, especially with an eye to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
On Tuesday, the Indian men’s senior selection committee, chaired by Ajit Agarkar, will meet in Guwahati to pick India’s squad for the one-off Test and three ODIs against Afghanistan next month.
Nitish Kumar Reddy being considered for the England tour
As reported by TOI, the Indian team management is extremely keen to give Reddy some game time, especially with the uncertainty around Hardik Pandya and his history of injuries.
According to the report, the selectors are likely to take a call on Pandya’s workload management and then go ahead with the Indian team management’s desires.
Pandya and Reddy are currently the only seam bowling all-rounders in the Indian team’s plans in ODIs. Reddy last played the format against New Zealand in January this year.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s seam bowling capabilities are likely to earn him a spot for the limited-overs tour to Ireland and England later this year.
After the Afghanistan series, India will play two T20Is in Ireland and three ODIs and five T20Is in England. Reddy is likely to be a prominent member of the squad if not a first-choice player right away.
This development also raises significant questions about Pandya’s future in the 50-over format. He has not played ODIs since the Champions Trophy in March last year.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s India career
Nitish Kumar Reddy originally gained attention via his all-round performances in IPL 2024, when he won the Emerging Player Award in SRH’s runner-up campaign.
That year, he debuted for India in both Tests and T20Is, but his opportunities have been extremely limited.
In 2025, he debuted in ODIs as well. Nitish Reddy has played 10 Tests, 4 ODIs and 4 T20Is for India.
In Tests, he has made 396 runs at an average of 26.40, including a century in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in 2024. His 8 wickets have come at a bowling average of 45.75.
In ODIs, he has made just 100 runs at an average of 33.33, but managed a fifty in his most recent match – against New Zealand in January. He is yet to take a wicket in the format.
In T20Is, he has made 90 runs at a strike rate of 180 in his career, with a highest score of 74 against Bangladesh in 2024. He has also taken 3 wickets with a bowling average of 23.67 and an economy of 7.89. But, he hasn’t played T20Is for India since January 2025.
In his most recent T20I, he did not get to bat or bowl and was eventually dropped from the side altogether. He was not a part of the Asia Cup or the World Cup won by India in this format in 2025 and 2026, respectively.
Also Read: IPL 2026 qualification scenarios: PBKS, RR, CSK, DC, KKR in fierce battle for final playoffs spot
Nitish Kumar Reddy in IPL 2026
As mentioned by the Times of India, the reason the selectors and the Indian team management are keen to include Nitish Reddy in the ODI team is his relatively improved bowling show in IPL 2026.
On Monday, Nitish Kumar Reddy had a bit of a blip, conceding 35 runs in his 2 overs, but in general, he has ably supported SRH’s potent pace attack.
In IPL 2026, he has made 235 runs at a strike rate of 163 with one half-century. He has also taken 7 wickets at an economy of 10.75, improving his numbers from last year in all aspects.
.jpeg "‘He is lacking that fluency’ – Manoj Tiwary unimpressed with Ruturaj Gaikwad, asks Sanju Samson to take over CSK captaincy in 2027 | CricTracker")
