Nitish Reddy's opportunity goes beyond filling in

There's been so much focus on Nitish Kumar Reddy the Test all-rounder that it's easy to overlook how little white-ball cricket he has played for India. Just eight matches across formats – four ODIs and four T20Is – compared to his 10 Test caps. In that time, he has played an IPL final and scored a Test hundred at the MCG, but opportunities in limited-overs international cricket have come far less frequently.

Part of that is down to the presence of Hardik Pandya, India's premier pace-bowling all-rounder in white-ball cricket. Even as injuries have punctuated his career, Hardik has repeatedly found a way to get himself fit for the tournaments and series that matter.

But Nitish's limited white-ball international exposure is also a reflection of the conditions India often play in, where teams tend to lean more heavily on spin-bowling all-rounders. India are hardly short of options in that department either, with the likes of Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja often providing balance.

That is what makes the Afghanistan series significant for Nitish. Hardik's injury, sustained shortly before the squad assembled, has opened up a role. And with the next ODI World Cup in South Africa a little over a year away, India are quietly looking for options.

The need is obvious. Hardik will be 34 by the time that tournament comes around and India know better than most how quickly plans can be disrupted when a seam-bowling all-rounder goes down. During the 2023 World Cup, Hardik's injury forced a reshuffle that was ultimately softened by Mohammed Shami producing one of the great fast-bowling campaigns in ODI history, but such mishaps are not going to be a boon in disguise every time.

It is why bowling coach Morne Morkel spoke about Nitish in the same breath as India's broader planning for the future.

"Unfortunately, Hardik is missing this series. He picked up quite a niggle very close to joining camp," Morkel said. "But again, it's another opportunity now for Nitish Kumar Reddy. He's been playing beautifully the last sort of two years. He's done a lot of work personally on his game.

"Like we said earlier with the new bowlers coming into the squad, it's an opportunity for guys also in that role to put their hand up and might make life difficult for the selectors."

The timing is notable because Nitish arrives at this series looking more complete as a cricketer than he did a year ago. During IPL 2026, he bowled quicker than ever, improvements that Morkel attributed to technical work done behind the scenes.

"Yeah, I mean, it's like I said, I always encourage the guys, when they get the opportunity, to work and develop their own game, and look at areas where they can improve. And Nitish did that," Morkel said.

"It was, from a technical point of view, to get him a little bit better, to create more balance so the energy flows down the wicket. We think, in both departments, there's improvement."

The batting has rarely been in doubt, and selections for the England T20Is and the Asian Games suggest he already enjoys the confidence of the selection panel even when it comes to white-ball cricket. What remains less certain is the extent of his value with the ball. If Nitish can develop into a genuine third seamer, and even take the new ball when required, he suddenly becomes a very different proposition.

South African conditions have a way of elevating seam-bowling all-rounders. The Afghanistan series, and the months that follow, offer Nitish and India's selectors a chance to find out where he stands.