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The Indian national cricket team is facing a new selection headache just ahead of the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan. The main concern is Hardik Pandya once again getting injured at the wrong time. This forced Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir to draft Nitish Kumar Reddy as a stable all-round option in the 50-over format.
Hardik Pandya had already missed several IPL 2026 matches for Mumbai Indians due to back spasms, and then he spent a few weeks at the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru to get medical clearance to play in the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
Hardik Pandya’s latest injury has given Gautam Gambhir a big selection headache.
However, just before the first IND vs AFG ODI on June 13, Hardik Pandya was once again injured, suffering a low-grade quadriceps strain just before joining the team in Dharamshala. The latest injury has put the star all-rounder’s availability for the ODI series under serious doubt.
It is being said that there is increasing concern about Hardik’s fitness, especially keeping in mind the ICC World Cup 2027. India is really relying on Pandya as the main fast bowling all-rounder, but repeated injuries are forcing the Indian team management to think about backup options.
This situation prompted head coach Gautam Gambhir and the selectors to look at Nitish Kumar Reddy as a long-term seam-bowling all-rounder prospect. The young all-rounder has been training hard in the nets and has reportedly bowled in the nets for long periods in Dharamshala.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is being prepared as Hardik Pandya’s backup in ODIs.
Nitish Kumar Reddy has also been working with UK-based bowling coach Stephen Jones to improve his speed and fitness. India have around 20 to 27 ODI matches to play before the ICC World Cup 2027, so even with Hardik Pandya back, Reddy is likely to get more chances to keep him ready for bigger roles.
It is being said that the Indian team management does not want a situation where before the mega event they do not have a fully fit all-rounder who can bowl fast as well as bat in the lower order.
The Times of India quoted a BCCI source as saying, “The team does not want to be stuck in a situation where they do not have a seam-bowling all-rounder ready this close to the World Cup. There have been discussions that they wanted to prepare for life without Hardik.”
Harshit Rana part of India’s long-term ICC World Cup 2027 plans
Another young fast bowler Harshit Rana is also being seen as a backup option. Even though he is still coming back from injury and fitness tests are pending, the Delhi player is already part of the ODI World Cup plans. All-rounder Shivam Dubey is also in the mix, but his contribution has been under the radar.
“Rana is an integral part of the team management’s plans. He has shown that he can contribute by scoring useful runs while batting at number eight. The team management wants to groom him to take the field. He also needs adequate game time. They will gradually increase his workload,” the source said.