Team India bowling coach Morne Morkel has heaped praise on the young Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who bowled exceptionally well in the recently concluded Afghanistan T20I series in Delhi.
Speaking at the pre-series press conference ahead of the West Indies ODI series at home, Morkel showered praise on Nitish Reddy’s attitude as an all-rounder, but also shared his views on the challenges ahead for the all-rounder.
“I think Nitish, if we just rewind to the T20s, the way he bowled in different situations has been very impressive. The message to him all the time is just to keep things simple and do the basics as well as possible. I think he’s a very talented guy when it comes to bat, ball, and field. He always wants to be the guy who creates opportunities. Having that mindset is fantastic,” Morkel said.
“We need to give him those opportunities to learn and grow. Luckily, we do have a bit of time now, and it will be great for Indian cricket if we can keep on developing him and for him to compete for that all-rounder spot. He’s got all the talent and all the ability to do that,” he added.
Further, Morkel urged the Indian bowlers to utilise the forthcoming three-match ODI series against the West Indies as an ideal platform for their World Cup 2027 preparations, adding that the Indian bowlers should put themselves in tough situations and deliver under pressure.
“You can’t decide a month or a week before the tournament that we’re going to step things up. I think it starts now with this series against the West Indies. Like how to keep the bad ball away, the fields, and how we can put ourselves under pressure. I want them to ask for the balls and create opportunities and not be sort of protecting their own space. I think that will be a great goal for us, if we can develop guys wanting (to bowl) in tough situations,” he concluded.
