In India’s opening match of the ODI series against Afghanistan on Saturday in Dharamsala, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s recent efforts to enhance his bowling motion and run-up paid off.
Reddy has significantly improved as a bowler, both in terms of pace and accuracy, after working with England-based coach Steffan Jones prior to the IPL.
With an eye on the 2027 ODI World Cup, the team management is preparing Reddy as a replacement for India’s top all-rounder, Hardik Pandya, who is prone to injuries. Reddy’s batting was always unquestionable, and now he’s delivering with the ball as well.
The Vizag-born cricketer used a fine yorker to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz during Saturday’s rain-soaked ODI. He was also able to settle scores against Gurbaz, who hit the Indian all-rounder for a six on his opening ball.
Reddy said that he uses the yorker as a defensive and attacking tool and someone had to intervene to halt Gurbaz’s frightening touch.
“I would say because I was expecting this situation will come at any point. I mean, I was not expecting in ODIs but at least in T20s like IPL and all, because (as) impact player I was not able to complete four overs I would say.
“Some matches I was able to bowl two overs, but there will be some matches where I’ll be bowling four overs, so I was preparing myself. I shouldn’t be clueless when the captain gives me the ball; I have to have some plan, so if it’s not regularly not bowling in matches, at least I would do my stuff in practice so that I’ll be ready at the right time,” he said.
Reddy bowled four overs in different stages of the rain-hit game against Afghanistan, but in the IPL, he did not get to regularly bowl his full quota. He too joined a bunch of players in criticising the Impact Player concept in the IPL.
“For all-rounders, yeah, it is a little bit difficult because we always expect we’ll get four overs and, even at first, one or two overs if you get beaten up, or at least there will be two overs. You can come back and you can give your effort that it used to be like that, but now if you bowl one or two overs bad and that’s your, maybe that’s your end of the tournament also.
“For some all-rounders or for some bowlers, I would say when there is chance for a comeback, like after one over you have to come back and show up yourself, that’s where a players’ mindset is determined and, that’s when comeback says everything. I believe, bowlers should get four overs and all-rounders should get four overs, at least they need to get that experience,” said Reddy.
Reddy has recently made significant development in both speed and accuracy, although he acknowledges that he is still a work in progress.
“I mean, I figured out that I’m a front-on bowler and working on the stride lengths which I wanted to go much more quicker on the run-up. So it changed a little bit in my bowling action. It’s coming good now and hopefully there are some more improvements which I have to do and hopefully I’ll do in coming days.
On the work done with Jones, he added: “I mean, it’s just seven days I have worked with him. It’s basically, we haven’t done a lot of work, but it’s just basically what we want to achieve in the coming days.
“That’s what we have discussed and we have worked on that and I have learnt some points where I need to change a little bit in my specific bowling, so we’re working on it.”
