NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 18: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has backed the development of Nitish Kumar Reddy as a pace-bowling all-rounder and said the youngster could feature alongside Hardik Pandya in the ODI team once Pandya is capable of bowling his full quota of 10 overs.
Pandya has been out of competitive cricket since May after suffering a quadriceps injury. He was not included in India's upcoming ODI series against the West Indies as he is currently not ready to bowl 10 overs in the 50-over format.
With the next ODI World Cup scheduled to be held in South Africa next year, the role of a pace-bowling all-rounder has gained importance for the Indian team.
Gambhir praised Nitish for his performance on his return to T20 cricket against Afghanistan. The all-rounder claimed three wickets in the final match of the series on Thursday.
Nitish has also been withdrawn from India's Asian Games T20 squad to give him an opportunity to focus on his development in the ODI format.
Gambhir said the decision would allow Nitish to get more playing time, including during the upcoming West Indies series.
“From Nitish's point of view, it's actually a great thing that he's been withdrawn from the T20 format, and he'll get game time against the West Indies as well,” Gambhir said during the post-series media interaction.
The head coach also stressed the importance of having seam-bowling all-rounders ahead of India's campaign in South Africa.
Gambhir, however, cautioned against rushing Pandya back into international cricket. The all-rounder is expected to prove his match fitness during the upcoming A series against Australia in Puducherry next month before returning to the national setup.
