Gavaskar backs Nitish Kumar Reddy after Afghanistan T20I heroics

Nitish Kumar Reddy delivered a match-winning bowling performance in India’s 2nd T20I against Afghanistan at Delhi on September 15, 2026. The 23-year-old took 3 wickets for 24 runs, claiming the scalps of Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan as India won by 7 wickets with 31 balls remaining. Reddy’s display earned him the Player of the Match award.

Sunil Gavaskar praised the 23-year-old all-rounder’s performance and urged the team management to support young batting all-rounders in their bowling development. He also opined that seam-bowling all-rounders like Reddy, Venkatesh Iyer, and Suryansh Shedge should be encouraged when they have a bad game aas they have a lot of promise.

“Nitish Kumar Reddy is a very fine prospect. When he started in the IPL, he wasn’t much of a bowler then, in that first year before he went to Australia. He was more of a batter. The batting technique was very good. A couple of overs he bowled towards the end of that first season, that’s where he looked as if he could be a very fine all-round cricketer,” Gavaskar said during a discussion on Sony Sports Network.

“Venkatesh Iyer, Suryansh Shedge – these are all promising all-rounders, and they have to be given the opportunity to develop. Don’t rush them in. Develop them and also at the same time, encourage them when they don’t have a good match,” he added.

Supporting young all-rounders through difficult phases

Gavaskar urged the team management to encourage the fast-bowling all-rounders to improve their skills with the ball, as they are in the team more for their batting.

“These are the guys you want to keep an eye on. Help them and encourage them to take their bowling also a little bit seriously because they are primarily in the team as batters. Sometimes when you are in the team primarily as batters, you tend to think as batters. If you start to think a little bit like bowlers, they will be absolutely fantastic, and India then has the options,” Gavaskar said.

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Reddy’s return to international cricket

Reddy’s return to international cricket came after he had last played for India in the home ODI series against Afghanistan in June 2026. A left quadriceps problem had flared up following that series, sidelining him from action. The BCCI Centre of Excellence cleared him to play in the Afghanistan T20I series after he completed fitness tests and match simulations, paving the way for his comeback performance in Delhi.

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