Pathan argues that Reddy's four-over spell should ideally be completed much earlier in the innings.
Former cricketer Irfan Pathan questioned India skipper Shreyas Iyer and the team management for assigning the 19th over to seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand.
Pathan argued that Reddy's four-over spell should ideally be completed much earlier in the innings—around the 15th or 16th over. By avoiding holding him back for the high-pressure death overs, he believes the captain would allow the youngster a breather and afford the team better tactical control to "run the game" optimally.
While Pathan conceded that exposing Reddy to the demanding "tough work" of the 19th over could be a deliberate strategy by management to groom him for future high-pressure scenarios, he remains highly skeptical of it being a viable long-term strategy for major tournaments like the T20 World Cup.
"Nitish bowled the 19th over in the last match, and he did that in this match as well. Nitish has been doing well, but ideally, I would like to see Shreyas Iyer finish Nitish's four overs by the 15th-16th over. He will also get a breather, and I feel you will be able to run the game better,” Pathan said on his YouTube channel after the third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday (October 27).
"But if the team management is thinking of making Nitish Kumar Reddy do tough work to prepare him for the future, then fair enough. But you won't see Nitish bowling the 19th over in the World Cup," he added.
In the same video, Pathan praised Arshdeep Singh’s impactful spell (1-33 in 4 fours) in the third T20I, hailing the left-arm quick as a genuine wicket-taker whose economy rate shouldn’t be a concern for the team management.
"Arshdeep is an underrated bowler when it comes to wicket-taking ability. He took two wickets, and his economy was very good this time. Even if his economy goes on the higher side, it's fine because he is a wicket-taker. If he takes a wicket, the new batter takes time against the other bowlers, which brings the overall economy of the team down," Pathan remarked.
Coming to the third T20I, the Men in Blue registered a series-clinching six-wicket victory over New Zealand at Hnry Stadium.
Chasing 199 to win, Abhishek Sharma hammered a blistering 113 off just 38 balls, including 11 sixes and 9 fours, while Vaibahv Sooryavanshi contributed 45 off 19 deliveries as the visitors overhauled the target in just 13.2 overs. The duo took the Kiwi bowling attack to the cleaners, adding 133 runs for the opening wicket in 7.1 overs.