Former India captain Srikkanth slams Nitish Reddy, supports Sarfaraz

By Arjit - Nov 26, 2025 03:24 PM
Last updated on Nov 26, 2025 03:24 PM

CHENNAI, INDIA – Former Indian captain and ex-Chief Selector, Krishnamachari Srikkanth, has once again launched a scathing attack on the Indian team’s selection policies. This time, his focus was largely on young cricketer Nitish Kumar Reddy, whose inclusion and status in the squad came under severe scrutiny.

Speaking on his YouTube show, Cheeky Cheeka, alongside his son Aniruddha, Srikkanth’s discussion on India's squad balance quickly turned heated as Nitish Kumar Reddy’s name came up.

Who Calls Nitish Reddy an All-Rounder?

In his characteristic blunt style, Srikkanth openly questioned the definition of an all-rounder used by the selectors for Reddy.

Who calls Nitish Reddy an all-rounder? Can anyone look at his bowling and say he is an all-rounder? Yes, he scored a hundred at the MCG, but what did he do after that? One instance does not make a career, Srikkanth stated.

The 22-year-old’s century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy stands as the biggest highlight of his young Test career. However, Srikkanth argued that apart from that single innings, the player has done nothing with either bat or ball to warrant a dual-role tag.

Srikkanth went on to mock the assessment, saying, "If Nitish Reddy is an all-rounder, then I am a great all-rounder! He added, "Be straightforward. Does he have movement? Does he have pace? Is he a deadly batsman? How can he be called an all-rounder?

Questioning ODI Inclusion and Hardik Pandya Replacement

Srikkanth did not limit his criticism to the Test squad, fiercely questioning Reddy’s place in the ODI squad as well.

How is Nitish in the ODI team? What has he done? Is he a replacement for Hardik Pandya? Why is Axar Patel not there?" he demanded.

Srikkanth highlighted that besides the brilliant century against Australia at the MCG, Reddy has little to show as an all-rounder. With a batting average of just 28 in 10 matches and a total of 8 wickets, his overall statistics are meager.

Reddy was initially released from the squad after the first Test but was recalled for the second Test and included in the Playing XI. However, his comeback was uneventful, managing only 10 runs in the first innings and failing to pick up a single wicket in the 10 overs he bowled across both innings.

Jurel as Specialist and Sarfaraz's Omission

In a continuation of his critique, Srikkanth also questioned the controversial decision to play Dhruv Jurel as a specialist batsman in the Test format. He further raised strong objections to the repeated omission of promising domestic batsman Sarfaraz Khan, implying a significant lapse in the selection logic applied by the current panel.

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