"Hardik is a much-refined version" - Aakash Chopra on Nitish Kumar Reddy's bowling heading into IND vs BAN 2024 3rd T20I

Aakash Chopra has praised Team India for playing Nitish Kumar Reddy alongside Hardik Pandya as much as possible. While acknowledging that Reddy has great potential, the former India batter opined that Hardik is a much better bowler.

India will face Bangladesh in the final T20I of the ongoing three-match series in Hyderabad on Saturday, October 12. Reddy and Hardik were part of the playing XI for the first two T20Is, with the youngster batting ahead of his fellow seam-bowling all-rounder.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener lauded the Men in Blue for fast-tracking Reddy. However, he added that the Andhra Pradesh all-rounder needs marked improvement as a bowler.

"Nitish Kumar Reddy and Hardik Pandya - this is a fantastic thing the Indian team are trying to do at the moment. Shivam Dube used to be a part of this team but he isn't there now. Tilak Varma has come in his place. Nitish Reddy has been fast-tracked with the thinking that he should be played as much as possible," Chopra said (5:40).

"He has been made to bat at No. 4 and given full overs. They are trying to prepare him because the potential is evident. I would still say he is slightly underprepared in bowling because if you see his and Hardik's bowling, Hardik is a much-refined version, bowls with great experience and picks up wickets," he added.

Hardik (1/26 in four overs) was given the new ball alongside Arshdeep Singh in the first T20I against Bangladesh, with Reddy bowling only two overs. The former India skipper didn't bowl in the second T20I, with Reddy using the new ball instead of him and registering figures of 2/23 in his four-over spell.

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"Nitish Kumar Reddy has the ability with the bat" - Aakash Chopra

In the same video, Aakash Chopra praised Nitish Kumar Reddy for his destructive ability with the bat.

"However, Nitish Kumar Reddy has the ability with the bat. There is no doubt about that as he hits sixes while standing in his position. He opens up his front leg, clears the line, and hits. We saw him playing differently in the last match. Both he and Rinku Singh started slowly, he got a life as well, but batted well once he got a chance to open his arms," he said (6:40).

The cricketer-turned-commentator opined that the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) home ground should suit the all-rounder as a batter and bowler.

"He tried to hit straight while batting because you don't get runs on the sides on that Kotla pitch. If you see from that viewpoint, Nitish Kumar Reddy has impressed all of us. He is going to Hyderabad now. He scored a lot of runs in the IPL there. His bowling will also suit here as the side boundaries are big. So Nitish Kumar Reddy is that shining bright prospect for Team India," Chopra observed.

Reddy amassed 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92 in 11 innings for SRH in IPL 2024. He also picked up three wickets in 13.1 overs this season.