Former India player turned commentator Aakash Chopra has said that a fragile sticker needs to be put on seam-bowling all-rounders like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Hardik Pandya. He said that because Nitish and Hardik have been ruled out of action quite frequently.
However, Nitish will miss India’s upcoming T20I series against Ireland and England due to a left quadriceps injury. Suryansh Shedge has been added to the 16-member Indian squad as his replacement.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Nitish Kumar Reddy has gotten injured once again. A fragile sticker should be put on him. Why put it on him alone? You should put it on everyone. Put it on Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Put a fragile sticker on all medium-pace all-rounders. Handle with care.”
“Hardik Pandya hasn’t been available for such a long time. He is still not available. Don’t know when he will be available. Nitish Kumar Reddy is available sporadically. I think he has a quadriceps injury because of which he is out of the Ireland and England tour, and we are starting to think what would happen in 2027. You don’t have too many options left because it’s a very rare commodity,” he further added.
“He performed well for Mumbai and then did well for the Punjab Kings” – Aakash Chopra on Suryansh Shedge
However, Aakash Chopra also said that Suryansh Shedge has performed well in domestic cricket, IPL 2026, and for India A, and should get opportunities in seam-friendly conditions in Ireland and England as well.
“Suryansh Shedge has been selected. He also comes from Mumbai. He performed well for Mumbai and then did well for the Punjab Kings. Now he was part of the India A team, and if you see his numbers there, he has been good. A good utility cricketer. He should get opportunities because the conditions will be like that,” he said.
“I can’t help but think about what would have happened had Shashank Singh had a good season. He bowled decently for Punjab, and although he is a good fielder, he kept dropping catches one after the other, and he didn’t bat as well as he did in the previous two years. When a spot opened up, your form dipped a little, someone else had form, he took that place, and you were left rubbing your hands,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
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