• By Namrata Vijay
  • Thu, 10 Oct 2024 01:54 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

IND vs BAN, 2nd T20I: Ex-India cricketer Aakash Chopra has reckoned that the Indian team management has tried to fast-track Nitish Kumar Reddy as an all-rounder, who can complement Hardik Pandya in matches. Nitish was the standout performer, who helped the team defeat Bangladesh by 86 runs in the 2nd T20I on Wednesday.

He scored a match-winning knock of 74 runs off 34 balls and also registered figures of 23/2 in the four overs that he bowled and thus won the Player of the Match award. During an interaction on his YouTube channel, Chopra revealed that Nitish was promoted up the order as a No.4 batter instead of players like Riyan Parag and Rinku Singh as the team management wanted someone who could complement Hardik Pandya as an all-rounder.

"I would say this match was dedicated to Nitish Kumar Reddy. What was being tried? He was made to bat at No. 4. You get a chance to leave a good impression at No. 4. You don't get that number quickly. Riyan Parag or Rinku Singh could have got that number but the captain and coach asked Nitish Kumar Reddy to go there because they are fast-tracking him," Chopra was quoted as saying on his Youtube channel.

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"They want an all-rounder who doesn't replace Hardik but can at least stand shoulder to shoulder with him so that he can be available when required. For that, he needed to perform well and you had to give him the position where he could have performed well", he revealed.

Decisive effort to get Nitish to do well

Chopra then talked about the bowlers and revealed how the team management expected Nitish to bowl like Hardik and perform brilliantly as well. The ex-cricketer reckoned that the team management decided to make Nitish well.

"After that, bowling. They got Hardik Pandya to bowl with the new ball in the first match. They asked Nitish to bowl two overs at the start here. He didn't get a wicket - no issues. He was asked to come later and bowl the 18th and 20th overs. He would definitely get wickets there. It was like a decisive effort that they had to get Nitish Kumar Reddy to do well," he concluded.

The Suryakumar Yadav-led side will lock horns with Bangladesh for the third and last T20I in Hyderabad on Saturday.