The team selection is again under scrutiny by a part of Indian cricket fans as Team India lost brutally against New Zealand in the second of the three-match ODI series (IND vs NZ 2nd ODI) last night in Rajkot. Fans questioned why Nitish Kumar Reddy was in the playing XI, as he bowled only a couple of overs and came to bat at number 7. Amid the ongoing criticisms over the emerging all-rounder, experienced Indian cricketer Hanuma Vihari came in front to protect the young prodigy. 

In a reply to a tweet, Vihari said that what Nitish Kumar Reddy has done so far for Team India, who is only 22 years old, is a dream for many. In support of his comments, the cricketer placed Reddy's Team India stats in his post as well. He strongly condemned the way fans are criticizing Reddy. 

"Can you tell me anyone else in the country who is at the level of Nitish who can bat and bowl seam? And he’s 22. You call a 22-year-old a “bits and pieces” cricketer!? Write him off just like that? He got a 100 in Melbourne, which many can only dream of. Like you & me," Vihari said in his 'X' post. 

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Hanuma Vihari spoke in support of Nitish Kumar Reddy 

Can you tell me anyone else in the country who is at the level of Nitish who can bat and bowl seam? And he’s 22.
You call a 22 year old “bits and pieces” cricketer!?
Write him off just like that?
The overs bowled by him in different formats FYI :
ODI 3 matches - 7 overs
T20’s 4… https://t.co/rnE21KVp2J

— Hanuma vihari (@Hanumavihari) January 15, 2026

So far, Nitish Kumar Reddy has played a total of 17 matches for Team India, including 10 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 4 T20Is. In those ten Test matches, the pace-bowling all-rounder took 8 wickets and scored 396 runs in total, including a highest score of 114. In ODIs, the Andhra Pradesh-born scored 47 runs and has yet to take his first wicket in this format. The T20I stats of Reddy look better, as in this format his batting average is 45.00 to go with 3 wickets in 4 matches. 

Reddy was included in the playing eleven for the India vs. New Zealand 2nd ODI match as the replacement for injured Washington Sundar. In this game, he added 20 off 21 with the bat but remained ineffective with the ball, which has sparked a series of criticisms on social media platforms.