(BCCI Photo)
Andhra’s promising all-rounder, Nitish Reddy, was set to debut for India in the T20I series against Zimbabwe before an untimely injury forced him out, with Shivam Dube taking his place.
In the IPL 2024 season, Nitish Reddy shone brightly, clinching the Emerging Player of the Season award. His impactful performance included 303 runs in 11 innings at a striking rate of 143, coupled with three crucial wickets. As the 21-year-old gears up for the upcoming domestic season starting September 5 with the Duleep Trophy, he focuses on regaining full fitness.
In a candid interview, Nitish Reddy shared insights into the challenges he faced early in his career, discussed the setback of missing out on his India debut due to injury, and recounted how he caught the attention of Pat Cummins during a Sunrisers Hyderabad practice session. His ambition remains unwavering: to establish himself as India’s premier all-rounder.
SRH all-rounder Nitish Reddy reminisces about his first encounter with Pat Cummins.
Nitish Reddy fondly reminisced about being summoned for a practice session organized by the Andhra Cricket Association as part of the IPL trials. It was during these trials that his batting prowess caught the attention of the selectors.
“Then one day, I just called up ACA and requested them to help arrange a few side-armers who would hurl the ball [to me] at 140 clicks from 18 yards. I did not want anyone to tell me I am a lower-order batter. I wanted to show I have it in me to bat in the top order,” Nitish told ESPNCricinfo.
He also mentioned how his batting ability caught the eye of Australian captain Pat Cummins. Due to his strong technique, Reddy consistently batted in the top order for Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL 2024 season.
“They bowled bouncers. I got hit everywhere initially, but I told myself: come what may, I am going to face up and fight, build character and develop that no-defeat attitude. I continued this routine whenever I was training back home. That is perhaps why, coming into IPL 2024, I felt so confident playing at a proper pace. In the nets when Pat Cummins saw me react to pace, he was very impressed,” he added.
Despite securing only 3 wickets in IPL 2024, Nitish Reddy has already demonstrated his bowling prowess in red-ball cricket for Andhra. The right-arm bowler boasts an impressive record of 52 wickets from 17 first-class matches at an average of 22.96.
With Hardik Pandya relinquishing the T20I captaincy, Nitish is poised to contest him for the all-rounder’s position. His accolade as the Emerging Player in IPL 2024 underscores his talent and potential contributions for India in the future.
