Legendary Sunil Gavaskar has showered praise on Nitish Kumar Reddy after India secured a seven-wicket win against Afghanistan at Dharamshala on Saturday. Reddy returned with impressive figures of 2-31 in his four overs as Afghanistan was bowled out for 194 in 24.5 overs.

The all-rounder was able to get the big wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who scored a 51-ball 102, with a perfect yorker. Reddy also got the crucial wicket of experienced batter Mohammad Nabi.

It has been observed that Reddy has definitely improved his bowling and was seen bowling around 140 kmph in IPL 2026 for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Gavaskar praised Reddy for bowling accurate yorkers against Afghanistan.

“Nitish Kumar Reddy picked up a huge wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a perfect yorker. If you can nail yorkers like that, you become a valuable asset,” Gavaskar told JioStar.

“Every time he tried something fancy, it went for runs. But every time he went back to the yorker, it worked,” Gavaskar said.

Gavaskar added that Reddy’s bowling gives India an extra tactical option for the upcoming matches.

“So, here’s the takeaway. India now have a player in Nitish Kumar Reddy who can fill the role of a fifth or sixth bowler. Depending on the pitch and match situation, he gives the captain and selectors flexibility. ‘Pick me as a batter, pick me as a bowler, I am ready.’ That is a huge plus for any team,” Gavaskar said.

Meanwhile, Reddy scored 302 runs in 14 matches of IPL 2026 and also scalped eight wickets in as many games for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Thus, he played a key role in helping the Orange Army qualify for the playoffs.

The second ODI between India and Afghanistan will be played at Lucknow on Wednesday.