Shubman Gill Snubs India Star For 1st ODI vs New Zealand, Irfan Pathan's Rant Can't Be Missed

Another India XI, another omission for all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as skipper Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir snubbed the all-rounder for a place in the team in the first ODI against New Zealand on Sunday. As India skipper Shubman Gill won the toss, he opted to field first while also announcing that the management has picked 6 bowlers in the XI. Seeing Reddy being snubbed again, Irfan Pathan went on a rant during the post-toss show for the broadcaster JioStar.

"If you don't play him, you can't groom him as an all-rounder. He gets picked, travels with the team, but doesn't feature in the XI. There must be some reason why he isn't getting picked," Irfan said on JioHotstar after the playing XI was named in the first ODI.

It isn't the first time that Irfan has advocated Reddy's selection in the team. Even on his YouTube channel, the former India all-rounder had urged the management to back Reddy for more opportunities in the team.

"Nitish Kumar Reddy should be given more opportunities, even if he fails. There are not many all-rounders who can bowl at 130 kmph and can bat in the middle order. Hardik Pandya became the player he is now because he was played regularly for the first 2-3 years. The selectors, the team management, and fans will have to be patient with Nitish Kumar Reddy as well, just like they were with Pandya in the past," Irfan had earlier said on his YouTube channel.

"If we don't show patience, then we will never see the potential turn into performances. So far, the performances have not come from Nitish Kumar Reddy. After the Test Hundred in Melbourne, we have not seen anything special from him in Tests. When he has had opportunities in white-ball cricket, even there he has not done well. But there are no other players with such a skillset," he added.

At the moment, India's preference seems clear, which is to back Washington Sundar - a spin-bowling all-rounder - as Reddy waits for his opportunities.

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Nitish Kumar Reddy Irfan Pathan Shubman Gill India vs New Zealand 2026 Cricket