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Aakash Chopra has lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy for making the most of the opportunity to bat at No. 4 in the second T20I between India and Bangladesh in Delhi on Wednesday, October 9. He pointed out that the Indian team management is trying its best to make the youngster succeed.
Reddy smashed 74 runs off 34 deliveries as India set Bangladesh a massive 222-run target after being asked to bat first. The seam-bowling all-rounder then registered figures of 2/23 in fours overs as the Men in Blue restricted the Bangla Tigers to 135/9 to register a comprehensive 86-run win.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that Reddy was made to bat at No. 4 to allow him to excel.
"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," he said (2:55).
The former India opener added that the think-tank is looking to develop a seam-all-rounder who can complement Hardik Pandya or be a backup for him.
"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," Chopra observed.
Chopra pointed out that Suryakumar Yadav and company also ensured that Reddy bowled his full quota of overs and was among the wickets.
"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 elaborated.
Reddy went wicketless and conceded 15 runs in his two-over spell with the new ball. He dismissed Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Mahmudullah in the 18th and 20th overs, respectively, to pick up his maiden two wickets in international cricket.
"He has the ability to hit straight sixes against both spin and pace" - Aakash Chopra on Nitish Kumar Reddy's batting
In the same video, Aakash Chopra appreciated Nitish Kumar Reddy's big-hitting ability down the ground.
"Nitish Kumar Reddy is playing very well. Firstly, he has been fast-tracked but the way he is batting, the thing I liked was that he plays with a very stable base and doesn't have to move much, doesn't have to jump down the track. He has the ability to hit straight sixes against both spin and pace," he said (3:45).
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the SunRisers Hyderabad all-rounder adjusted his game according to the conditions in Delhi.
"This Delhi pitch had slightly low bounce. You could have gotten stuck if you tried to hit square of the wicket, which you can hit in Hyderabad. He went downtown, he went over long-on, and that is why the success was there for everyone to see. He was outstanding," Chopra explained.
Reddy added 108 runs for the fourth wicket with Rinku Singh after India were in a spot of bother at 41/3. The latter smashed 53 runs off 29 deliveries with the help of five fours and three sixes.
