Ahead of the third and final ODI against Afghanistan in Chennai, India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said that Nitish Kumar Reddy is emerging as the “natural successor” to Hardik Pandya as the team continues to build its all-rounders for the future.India have already taken an elusive 2-0 lead in the three-match series. In the last few years, the team has added several all-rounders to its pool, with Washington Sundar, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey providing versatile bowling options.Among the bowling all-rounders, Nitish has made a strong case for himself and is seen as a long-term option behind Hardik.Speaking about the squad’s all-round depth, ten Doeschate said most of the available options continue to be all-round bowlers.“And when Hardik plays, he obviously brings a different element because he’s such a strong batsman, such a strong finisher. It’s kind of a lack of roles, it’s hard to find a finisher who gives you overs as well,” he said.“So those guys are holding up really well. Like I said with Nitish, in the last 18 months he’s shown how important he can be to this team, especially in this format. And I feel his body is getting stronger and stronger, and I kind of feel he’s a natural successor or back-up to Hardik,” he added.The assistant coach also said it was encouraging to see several all-rounders contributing with both bat and ball, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa in mind.“Even someone like Gurnoor (Brar) and Harsh (Dubey), all bowlers are all-rounders. But the fact that we feel we have guys who can hold the bat at number nine, obviously we’re looking forward to the next 14, 15 months, that’s going to be very important. Especially in South Africa, when you want to play three real outstanding players, those guys are going to have to bat. Lots of good signs on the all-rounder front and also on the fast bowling front,” he said.Ten Doeschate also expressed his delight at the emerging group of bowlers developing behind senior bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, both of whom miss this series.“It’s fantastic. As I said, one of the big things when this coaching staff started was always the change of bowlers, especially with guys like Shami not playing anymore. This week or a few weeks ago when we gathered in Chandigarh to see those three young guys come together, it was literally a Wow moment.“The way Gurnoor (Brar) bowled in his first two games, to see a young Indian pacer hitting 147, 148, it’s like, I’m sure you’re all as excited as we are. Obviously the T20 was a big asset for the next 15 months and to balance the experience that this team has,” he said.With the 2027 World Cup cycle underway, the Indian management seems to be focused on building depth in the all-rounder and fast bowler departments, and Nitish is among the players being closely monitored as part of those plans.
