Nitish Kumar Reddy took two wickets in the first ODI against Afghanistan at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, according to Hindustan Times. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar praised Reddy’s bowling, specifically citing a yorker used to dismiss Rahmanullah Gurbaz, characterizing the delivery as having a significant impact on the match, as reported by Times of India.

Reddy, who made his international debut in 2024 as a specialist batter and scored a Test hundred at Melbourne, stated after the game that he identifies himself as a front-on bowler and has worked on his skills, Hindustan Times reported. The Indian team management has been seeking a quality pace bowling all-rounder, and Reddy’s performance has been viewed as an assessment of his utility to the team, according to the outlet.

Gavaskar’s positive assessment of Reddy’s value was highlighted by Times of India, which noted the bowler's technical improvements. Reddy has added more variations and improved his accuracy, described as sharper and more accurate in his bowling technique, according to Hindustan Times.