Dearth of all-format allrounder: A Rubik’s Cube with no easy fix for India

Nitish Reddy’s two‑over spell in the Rajkot ODI against New Zealand unfolded in a disheartening way for an Indian fan. He operated in the 130 kph range, lacked swing and seam, and was knocked around with ease by the pair of Daryl Mitchell and Will Young.

Nitish didn’t look like taking a wicket, and after conceding 13 runs in those two overs, he wasn’t given the ball again. His lack of usage with the ball said more than his figures did. The captain and team management didn’t have enough confidence to use him.

Placed against the backdrop of India carefully preserving Hardik Pandya for the T20 World Cup, effectively ruling him out of regular ODI duty, the gap becomes even more glaring. India are in desperate search of an all‑format allrounder who can contribute meaningfully with both bat and ball across conditions.

And with Ravindra Jadeja in the twilight of his career, the question becomes sharper: after Jadeja and Hardik, who carries India’s balance forward?

Hardik Pandya: Indispensable, but injury-prone

Hardik arguably remains India’s most impactful white‑ball allrounder. A flamboyant batter who can generate good steam with the ball and change the complexion of a match. But his fitness has repeatedly reminded India that this luxury comes with limits.

His ankle injury during the 2023 ODI World Cup instantly shattered India’s balance, forcing a reshuffle that narrowed their options, ultimately leading to a scar that refuses to fade. Recently, a quadriceps injury at the Asia Cup had made India sweat in the sweltering heat of the UAE before a high-voltage final against Pakistan.

A series of setbacks has made it clear that Hardik cannot be the all-format workhorse India once hoped he could become, and therefore, they now manage him with extreme caution.

Nitish Reddy: Talent proven, trust yet to be earned

Nitish Reddy’s century at the MCG during the 2024–25 Border‑Gavaskar Trophy was the kind of innings that captures the imagination of an entire nation. A rookie allrounder, away from home, holding the fort for the team against a rampaging Aussie attack, it felt like the arrival of something India desperately needed.

But the numbers since then have been modest.

These figures place him firmly in the developing category rather than as a ready all‑format option. His bowling, in particular, remains a work in progress, lacking the penetration needed to be trusted in long spells.

The Rajkot ODI was a glimpse of where he is in terms of bowling. Trusted enough to bowl, but not enough to be used fully. Add the presence of Hardik and Shivam Dube in T20Is, and his opportunities shrink further. Therefore, Nitish is a long‑term project: promising, but not yet what the team needs.

Shivam Dube: Built for T20 power, not all‑format grind?

Shivam Dube has carved out a clear identity: a spin‑hitter in T20 cricket who can bowl a few overs. His power-hitting against spin is reliable, and that's why he has been able to keep Rinku Singh out of the equation.

But the selection committee’s reluctance to use him in ODIs is telling. It seems the selectors trust his calibre in the shortest format of the game, but they are unwilling to take a punt on him in the 50-over or red-ball format.

How is the Impact Player rule squeezing out allrounders?

The Impact Player rule in the IPL gives teams an easy shortcut to balance: instead of backing a genuine allrounder, they can simply swap in a specialist when needed. That safety net reduces the incentive to invest time in players who are still developing a second skill.

Young allrounders may now find those opportunities shrinking because a specialist can always do the job more efficiently in the short term. Over time, this can distort the talent pipeline. If teams keep prioritising specialists, emerging players may feel pressured to abandon their secondary discipline altogether. 

The domestic crop: Rich in talent, short on all‑format contenders

India’s domestic circuit is rich in allrounders but mostly in the spin‑bowling category, and mostly in format‑specific roles.

Harsh Dubey

A high‑quality red‑ball spin allrounder in the making, but not yet an all‑format contender.

Bowling record

Batting record

Tanush Kotian, Manav Suthar, Suryansh Shedge, Shahbaz Ahmed, Nishant Sindhu, and Anukul Roy

All have shown promise in one or two formats, but none can be billed as an all-format standout. While some of them are batting allrounders, others are bowling allrounders but they are yet to knock the selection door down with impressive and sustained displays across first-class, List A, and T20 cricket.

Tanush Kotian's bowling record

Tanush Kotian's batting record

Manav Suthar's bowling record

Manav Suthar's batting record

Shahbaz Ahmed's batting record

Shahbaz Ahmed's bowling record

Suryansh Shedge's batting record

Suryansh Shedge's bowling record

Nishant Sindhu's batting record

India’s looming imbalance

Jadeja has been India’s most reliable all‑format allrounder for over a decade, but he cannot carry that load forever. Hardik is too injury‑prone to be a three‑format constant. Nitish is still raw. Dube is format‑specific. The domestic names are specialists, not all‑format options.

So the question becomes unavoidable: are India thin on quality all‑format allrounders and staring at a structural imbalance once Jadeja and Hardik are unavailable?

Right now, the answer leans uncomfortably close to yes. India’s all‑format allrounder puzzle remains exactly like a Rubik’s Cube with no easy fix.