Former India star questions Nitish Reddy’s ODI selection, says Gaikwad deserved recall

India’s ODI squad for the upcoming New Zealand series has once again triggered debate, with several former cricketers questioning the logic behind a few selections. Soon after the BCCI announced the 15-member squad, discussions around omissions and inclusions began dominating the cricketing discourse.

With limited slots available, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel continues to face criticism for leaving out players who are performing consistently, while backing others with limited experience at the international level. One such decision that has drawn sharp criticism is the inclusion of Nitish Kumar Reddy as a seam-bowling all-rounder.

Former India batter and ex-CSK player Subramaniam Badrinath openly questioned Reddy’s selection, stating that his performances with the ball have not justified a place in the ODI setup. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath pointed out that with established all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar already in the squad, Reddy’s inclusion raised concerns.

Badrinath highlighted that Reddy has featured in only two ODIs so far, scoring 27 runs in total and failing to take a wicket. He further noted that even in domestic cricket, the Andhra Pradesh all-rounder has struggled to contain runs while bowling.

Although named in the squad, Reddy may not even be guaranteed a spot in the playing XI against New Zealand, with Jadeja expected to shoulder the all-rounder’s role. Badrinath felt this made the decision even more puzzling, especially when it came at the cost of in-form batter Ruturaj Gaikwad.

According to Badrinath, Gaikwad’s omission was difficult to justify given his outstanding List A record and recent performances. He recalled how Gaikwad was asked to bat at No. 4 during the South Africa series due to a lack of opening slots, and still responded with a century. Since then, the Maharashtra batter has continued his prolific run in List A cricket, piling up runs with remarkable consistency.

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Badrinath stressed that Gaikwad’s numbers speak for themselves, pointing out his impressive average of over 57 in List A cricket, along with more than 5,000 runs, including multiple centuries. In his view, leaving out a batter of such calibre while opting for an all-rounder with limited impact reflects inconsistency in the selection process.

While Badrinath acknowledged that most of the squad selections were predictable and sensible, he maintained that choosing Nitish Kumar Reddy ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad remains the biggest talking point and a decision that warrants closer scrutiny.