Nitish Kumar Reddy outshines Shankar, Iyer, Dube, poses a threat to Pandya in the team

It is commonly understood that in T20 cricket, every ball holds significance. This was epitomized at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday night.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, entrusted with the pivotal No. 4 position even though he only made his India debut last Sunday, had laboured to 13 off 12 deliveries on a sticky surface when Mahmudullah, the experienced former Bangladesh captain, sent down a no-ball. A no-ball is a cardinal sin in the shortest format and is particularly galling to the fielding side when it is delivered by an off-spinner. Not only does it result in an extra run and an additional ball, but the following delivery is also a free hit, which means the batter can’t be dismissed by the bowler.

The free hit ball was full, on Nitish’s pads, Mahmudullah’s feeble attempt at a yorker going horribly wrong. The right-hander got underneath the delivery and lashed it over long-on for six, a stroke that was to spur the Andhra batter into producing a special innings.

By the time he was dismissed midway through the 14th over, Nitish had bashed his way to 74, off just 34 deliveries, punctuated by four fours and seven sixes. He struck the ball cleanly, showing no signs of nerves inevitable in only his second appearance for the country, threatening the spectators cramming the stands and sending Bangladesh on a hiding to nothing.

For good measure, Nitish came back with the ball to strike two blows with his brisk medium-pace, among them the scalp of Mahmudullah who surely must be on his Christmas card list now. There was only one contender for the Player of the Match award after India secured their 16th consecutive T20I series at home, undefeated in their own backyard since 2019.

These are early days in Nitish’s fledgling career. Until six months back, he was just another journeyman domestic cricketer, though the fact that Andhra trusted him enough to hand him a first-class debut when he was only 16 should merit some consideration. Operating then with the new ball, Nitish weighed in with one wicket and made 39 in his team’s seven-wicket defeat of Kerala in January 2020, but until IPL 2024, he was hardly a household name even in Visakhapatnam, the city of his birth.

Nitish was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2023 for his base price of ₹20 lakh and played two matches in a season to forget for the 2016 champions, who finished bottom of the league table with just four wins. He wasn’t required to bat and bowled five fruitless overs that went for 54; maybe he was just one of those players that wasn’t cut out for the big stage?

But wait. Come IPL 2024, and Nitish was a batter transformed. Entrusted with greater responsibility, he responded in style with 303 attractive runs at a strike-rate of 142.92. SRH used him sparingly with the ball – just 13.1 overs spread across 13 games – but despite his high economy of 11.62 on primarily flatbeds, he displayed admirable heart and gumption.

Reward was swift in coming when he was picked in the team to play five T20Is in Zimbabwe in early July, but an injury sustained during the fast bowlers’ camp at the NCA in Bengaluru meant his tryst with international cricket was put on hold. But once he recovered fully, he was drafted in for the Bangladesh series, and he has quickly established himself as one to look out for.

These are very, very early days yet and it would be presumptuous to herald Nitish as one for the future, but the signs are more than promising. Of all the quick-bowling all-rounders India have blooded in the last few years – Vijay Shankar, Venkatesh Iyer and Shivam Dube included – Nitish looks the best bet to complement Hardik Pandya, clearly a cut above the rest when it comes to that category.

Despite four and a half years in first-class cricket, Nitish is only 21. India have begun their endeavour to piece together a team that will embark on a title defence of the T20 World Cup at home in 2026, and early indications are that Nitish will be one of the important pieces of that jigsaw. Two years is a long time, agreed, and a lot of things can go wrong, but if Nitish can stay injury-free and maximise the obvious potential that rests in his lithe frame, he can work wonders with his crisp ball-striking and his more than handy fast-medium. He may not become Pandya 2.0, but if he remains an effective Nitish 1.0, India will be more than delighted.