Certain prominent names are missing from India’s ODI squad for the Australia series – Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya – due to injuries. In their absence, Dhruv Jurel and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been given opportunities. With the 2027 World Cup in South Africa not far away, the Indian team management also has a long-term vision. The resultant outcome is they are keen on picking tall fast bowlers, alongside left-arm pacers. A case in point is the selection of the left-arm pace bowler Arshdeep Singh.
Let’s zero in our focus on the trio of Nitish, Jurel and Arshdeep:
Nitish Kumar Reddy – The all-rounder has played nine Tests and four T20Is but he is yet to represent the country in the 50-over format. So, what are his key strengths? At his very best, Nitish is a fluent stroke-maker in the middle order; we saw glimpses of it in the 2024 IPL. In that tournament, his strike rate against spin was impressive, standing at 178.7. Meanwhile, in the longest format, he showcased his temperament at the MCG, compiling his maiden Test hundred.
On the flip side, Nitish’s bowling perhaps lacks certain qualities required for modern-day ODI cricket. With Nitish all set to be employed in the middle overs, ideally, he needs to bowl the hard length. However, that isn’t one of his main traits. And that is where Hardik has become such an integral part of India’s limited-overs sides. Alongside his power-hitting, Hardik has the attributes to bowl hard length in the middle phase of an innings.
Moreover, Nitish’s strike rate with the bat nosedived to 118.95 and he could only bowl 30 deliveries in this year’s IPL. To summarise, Nitish has been picked more on potential, as the Indian selectors are desperately looking for a back-up to Hardik.
Arshdeep Singh – The left-arm pace bowler is India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is. But he has played just nine ODIs in comparison to 65 T20Is. Arshdeep’s best figures of 4 for 30 came in an ODI in South Africa in 2023. With the next World Cup scheduled to be held in South Africa, one has to also consider his game-breaking spells in a couple of T20Is at the Wanderers, where he generated late swing, augmented by the over-the-wicket left-arm angle.
No wonder that the Indian think-tank believes that he can make useful contributions in the 2027 World Cup. The upcoming ODI series in Australia would serve as a testing ground for the Indian management to try out the left-arm pace bowler.
Dhruv Jurel – With Pant out injured, Jurel has secured a berth as the second wicket-keeper in the squad. For starters, Jurel has a sound base. In his brief Test career, he has produced a few valuable knocks, especially his game-turning knock in the Ranchi Test last year. His List A average of 47.25 and strike rate of 92.19 also make for a good reading. Although it has to be pointed out that he has played just 10 50-over games.
Just to add a caveat, Jurel couldn’t provide the finishing touches in the games against Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in the 2025 IPL. But he is just 24 years old and possibly has a bright future ahead of him.
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