Nitish Kumar Reddy’s role questioned after India's disappointing ODI series against NZ

Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath questioned Nitish Kumar Reddy’s suitability in India’s ODI plans following the home series defeat against New Zealand, where the young all-rounder struggled to justify his selection.

Nitish was drafted into the side as a replacement for Hardik Pandya, who missed the series, but failed to leave a strong impression. Badrinath was particularly critical of how Nitish was used in the deciding third ODI in Indore, where he was asked to bowl eight overs despite India having five specialist bowling options at their disposal.

New Zealand capitalised on the Indian attack, with Nitish conceding 53 runs without taking a wicket as the visitors posted a formidable 337 for 50 overs. Although Nitish responded with a fighting half-century, scoring 53 runs, India were unable to chase the target and went down by 41 runs, losing the series 1-2.

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Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath suggested that Nitish was overused with the ball simply because he was included in the XI. “Yes, he scored a fifty, but the reason he bowled eight overs was not because of his bowling ability. It felt like once they picked him, they were compelled to bowl him,” Badrinath said.

Across the series, Nitish failed to pick up a single wicket, bowling 10 overs at an economy rate of 6.60. The match in Indore marked only his fourth ODI appearance, highlighting his lack of experience at this level.

Badrinath went on to raise broader concerns about team selection and balance, questioning Nitish’s role in the side. He pointed out that India being beaten at home by a relatively inexperienced New Zealand lineup should prompt serious introspection. “When such a New Zealand team can come here and beat India, it clearly shows that something is not going right,” he remarked.