Dale Steyn questions SRH's decision not to bowl Nitish Reddy
What's the story
Former South African cricketer and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) pacer, Dale Steyn, has raised concerns over the franchise's failure to use Indian all-rounder Nitish Reddy to his full potential in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. This comes after SRH's four-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians on Thursday. Despite being a full-time all-rounder, Reddy hasn't bowled a single over this season. Additionally, he also failed with the bat, having scored only 131 runs in seven matches. Here are further details.
Critique
Steyn questions SRH's decision not to use Reddy's services
Steyn took to X to question SRH's decision not to bowl Reddy. "Have SRH just forgotten that Reddy can bowl...?" he wrote. He further added that Reddy "has a bit of a golden arm," and is "absolutely worth an over or two." Steyn also criticized skipper Pat Cummins and the team's management for this oversight. Additionally, during the 2024 season, the all-rounder's bowling skills were not used much, having bowled just 79 balls and bagging two wickets (13 matches).
Player status
Reddy's performance and injury concerns
As mentioned, Steyn's comments come as Reddy continues to struggle with his batting form in IPL 2025. He has managed just 131 runs in six matches, averaging 21.83. Notably, the all-rounder returned from a side strain injury for this IPL season, and bowling could risk aggravating the injury if not fully healed. This raises questions about whether his non-participation is due to injury concerns or strategic decisions by SRH management.
Team performance
SRH's current standing and coach's comments
Currently, SRH sit ninth on the points table with four points from seven games. Meanwhile, coach Daniel Vettori has urged his batters to adjust their strategy on "difficult" pitches, acknowledging that they can't expect easy runs at every venue. His comments come after MI outperformed them on a challenging Wankhede Stadium pitch, which offered support for both spin and pace bowlers.
Twitter Post
Dale Steyn's X post questioning SRH's decision
Have SRH just forgotten that Reddy can bowl…?
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) April 17, 2025
Has a bit of a golden arm, absolutely worth an over or two.