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Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif launched a sharp criticism of team selection ahead of the third and deciding ODI between India and New Zealand, scheduled to be played on Sunday, January 18, at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.
Kaif questioned the inclusion of young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in the playing XI, expressing concerns over his limited impact in the second ODI. Batting at No. 7, Reddy failed to make a significant contribution and bowled only two overs, finishing with figures
of 0/13. Kaif pointed out that on the Rajkot pitch, India appeared short of a frontline spinner, suggesting that the decision to play Reddy upset the team’s balance.
"I do not understand the squad that has been picked. You played four pacers in Rajkot where the pitch was slow. New Zealand played three spinners. The team coming from outside read the conditions better. Spin has not been their strength, even then, they read the conditions well. I did not understand India's XI. I did not understand Nitish Reddy's role as well. The coach and management, please tell me what his role is,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
Kaif further emphasised that Reddy should be viewed primarily as a batter rather than a genuine all-rounder. He stated that the Indian team management needed to recognise this distinction sooner rather than later. According to Kaif, Reddy cannot be considered a sixth bowling option, as he rarely bowls meaningful overs in matches.
Kaif also pointed out that even the team captain appeared reluctant to rely on Reddy’s bowling, which reflected a lack of trust in his abilities with the ball. Kaif went on to add that, in his opinion, Reddy does not currently possess the bowling quality required to succeed as an all-rounder in limited-overs formats.
"He is only a batter. He is not an all-rounder. The quicker the Indian team understands this, the more beneficial it will be for them. Whenever he plays, the captain is not comfortable. If it is being said that he is an all-rounder, it is not right. He plays but does not bowl,” said Kaif.
“He is not your sixth bowler. In fact, he is a part-time bowler. Just bowls for the sake of it. Like, no one should blame us that we did not bowl him when we played him, so just for the sake of it. The captain does not trust his bowling. He does not have a chance in white-ball in bowling," he added.
Reddy scored 20 runs off 21 balls as India posted a respectable total of 284/7 while batting first. However, the effort proved insufficient as New Zealand chased down the target comfortably in 47.3 overs, finishing with seven wickets in hand. Notably, Reddy has bowled just 7.1 overs across three ODIs and only nine overs in four T20Is for India so far.
