The IPL 2026 is currently underway, with all teams fighting it out for the final four places in the playoffs. Hardik Pandya, who is the captain of the Mumbai Indians, is widely regarded as one of the best all-rounders in the country. However, he has not been at his best in the league this season. He has scored just 146 runs and picked up 4 wickets in his 8 games. Hence, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra did not name him as the best all-rounder of the tournament. He has instead named Sunrisers Hyderabad star Nitish Reddy as the best all-rounder of the tournament so far.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra said that no all-rounder has scored 200 runs and taken moe than five wickets other than Nitish Reddy. Whenever he missed a match, the team looked weak, and the moment he came back, the team looked brilliant.
“He is the best all-rounder of this tournament at the moment. No other all-rounder has scored 200 runs and taken five or more wickets. The team suddenly started looking weak when he missed a match. He was unwell, and the moment he comes back, looks brilliant,” Aakash Chopra said.
“He is bowling in different phases. Why does your pace increase? It’s because you feel you need to increase your pace. The pace won’t increase automatically. He realized he had to do something. So he worked for that and has come after increasing his pace,” he added.
‘Play Him In Indian White-Ball Team’
Regarding his bowling, Aakash Chopra said that Nitish Reddy picks up crucial wickets and bowls important spells in the middle. He also praised his batting. However, the difference this year has been bveen the maturity and consistency that he has shown. He has thus called for the all-rounder to be selected in the Indian white-ball setup.
“He bowls seam-up deliveries in the Powerplay and picks up crucial wickets. He gives one or two overs in the middle overs as well. He has been consistently performing and contributing,” Chopra said.
“As regards his batting, all of us know, and I might have said two or three years ago that Nitish Kumar Reddy was a great pick for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, it has taken time to reach here. We saw in Melbourne in the Boxing Day Test match that he can bat well,” the former India opener observed.
“So he is a good player, but maturity, consistency, and regular performances have come to the fore a little more this season, and, therefore, I think he is making a case not just to select him but to play him in white-ball cricket and give him a little more responsibility,” he added.
Disclaimer: This article summarizes a report by Aakash Chopra. While Times Now has verified the public data presented, the interpretations of ‘intent’ remain those of the creator.
