'Not Shubman Gill, it was this youngster who changed the game in Dharamshala, he is an asset for the team'; Sunil Gavaskar heaps praise on young all-rounder

DHARAMSHALA: Legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has heaped praise on young Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy following his excellent performance in the first ODI against Afghanistan. It was the yorker bowled by Nitish to dismiss Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the rain-shortened match that impressed Gavaskar.

“The yorker Nitish bowled to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz was perfect. If he can consistently bowl such accurate yorkers, he will be a great asset for the team. Whenever he tried to do something different with the ball, he faced difficulties. But whenever he went back to bowling yorkers, he managed to pick up wickets," Gavaskar said while speaking in an interview to JioHotstar.

"So, the matter is simple. India have found a quality player in Nitish who can bowl as the fifth or sixth bowling option. This will help the captain and selectors make changes to their plans based on the pitch conditions and match situation. He has the attitude of saying, ‘Whether you send me in as a batter or use me as a bowler, I am ready.’ That kind of flexibility is the biggest advantage any team can have,” Gavaskar added.