‘Wouldn’t Put Him in Pandya Mould’: Dinesh Karthik Gets Brutally Honest on Debutant Nitish Reddy

One of IPL 's most hyped sensations has made his way into the Indian Cricket Team as Nitish Kumar Reddy makes his debut in Team India against Bangladesh . After breathing fire in his breakout season during the IPL 2024, Reddy got the chance to wear the India Blue and represent the national cricket side. As a rising cricketer with a long way to go, Nitish has received praise from all over, and an India veteran has also offered his take on the all-rounder .

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Dinesh Karthik Gets Candid on Nitish Kumar Reddy As He Makes India Debut

During an appearance on Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik spoke out on the future of Nitish Kumar Reddy in the Indian cricket realm. As one of the fastest-rising IPL stars, Nitish found his way into the national side and his all-around skills in pressure environments made him a distinct one. DK applauds Reddy's class and expect him to do marvellous things in the future. But the veteran is not yet ready to put him at the level of Hardik Pandya as he has some concerns with his bowling skills.

"I wouldn't put him in the Hardik Pandya mould, and I say that because you are not guaranteed four overs from Nitish Kumar Reddy at the moment. He could go on to become that, but what we can be very excited about is his batting talent. He is an outstanding fielder — one of the quickest in the country — so that is another major plus.

"What I really like about him is -- playing for SRH is not easy as a middle-order batter because the tempo with which Head and Abhishek starts is very different to any other IPL team, they just get off to a flyer. What Nitish Reddy did really well was coming and continuing that tempo, and that requires skill. It's one thing taking 5-6 balls, taking your time and exploding, but a lot of times, he was able to maintain the momentum or run rate that the openers and number have set and that I love about him. It's not an easy skill, and it tells me that he is a man who is very sure of the shots he wants to play," Dinesh Karthik said.

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Nitish Kumar Reddy was initially in line for a debut on the Zimbabwe tour right after India's T20 World Cup win, but a last-moment injury pulled him out of the tournament. He eventually found his way back into the fold in the Bangladesh series and received his debut T20I cap alongside Mayank Yadav in Gwalior, MP.