In IPL 2025, he has managed only 131 runs in seven matches so far.
Former cricketer Sanjay Bangar feels that Nitish Kumar Reddy’s call-up to the Indian team might have come too early. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder has been under fire for his poor form in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, especially after scoring just 19 runs off 21 balls against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Nitish Kumar Reddy had a great IPL season last year, scoring 303 runs in 11 innings and playing a big role for SRH. His strong performance earned him a place in India’s T20I and Test teams. He did really well in the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, even scoring a century.
However, since then, his form has dipped. In IPL 2025, he has managed only 131 runs in seven matches so far, with a low strike rate of 113.91, which has become a worrying sign for him.
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Speaking at ESPNcricinfo before the match, Former cricketer Sanjay Bangar said that Nitish Kumar Reddy’s rise to the top level happened too fast. He explained that while it’s possible to start well in international cricket, batters need enough first-class experience to build the right temperament. Bangar pointed out that Reddy has played only around 15–20 first-class matches, which isn’t enough to fully understand his game. He called it an overachievement and said Reddy is now struggling with expectations without being a fully developed player.
“The expectations and how you deal with expectations is a big thing because anybody can have a great start to first-class or to an international career. But for a batter, I think it is all the more important that you have spent a lot of time in first-class cricket before you graduate to higher achievements. And as a batter, you require that temperament,” Sanjay Bangar said.
“So for Reddy, I think it has happened way too fast. Even his first-class numbers, I’m not exactly sure how they are, but it was an extraordinary overachievement in that regard. He’s probably played 15 or 20 first-class matches in Australia, and that’s not enough for a batter to understand his game. So clearly, it’s a case of dealing with expectations despite not being a really finished product,” he added.
Nitish Kumar Reddy still has seven more matches left in the season to regain his form. He hasn’t been at his best so far and will be keen to deliver strong performances in the upcoming games.
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