Nitish Kumar Reddy Reveals Hardik Pandya’s Inspiring Message During 2024 T20 World Cup

Nitish Kumar Reddy, the 21-year-old all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), has been making headlines with his impressive performances. Admiring Indian cricket legends Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, Nitish has carved a niche for himself in the cricketing world. Despite facing a sports hernia injury, his stellar performance in IPL 2024, where he scored 303 runs with a strike rate of 143 and took three wickets, earned him the ‘Emerging Player of the Season’ award.

Journey to Recovery and Domestic Season Aspirations

Currently, Nitish is on the path to full fitness, gearing up for the new domestic season starting with the Duleep Trophy on September 5. His dedication and hard work are evident as he prepares to make a strong comeback.

Fan of RCB and Meeting Virat Kohli

Nitish’s admiration for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has spanned a decade. Recalling his first meeting with Virat Kohli, he shared, “I didn’t have much to ask him; I just wanted to shake his hand and get his autograph. In 2024, I hoped to play well against RCB so that Kohli would notice my game. Though I didn’t get to bat in that match, he remembered my name during the post-match handshake. That meant a lot to me.”

Early Achievements and Transition to All-Rounder

Nitish’s cricket journey began with notable performances in the Under-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, scoring a triple ton against Tamil Nadu and a quadruple ton against Nagaland. Despite initial frustrations in 2019, his coach Srinivas Reddy encouraged him to continue as a bowler, highlighting the scarcity of pace bowling all-rounders in India.

Breakthrough and IPL Journey

Nitish’s talent was recognized during an ACA camp for the 2019-20 domestic season, where he impressed Hanuma Vihari and made his Ranji debut against Kerala in January 2020. Although he was picked by SRH ahead of the 2023 IPL, he got limited opportunities to showcase his skills. However, his potential was acknowledged when he was called up to India’s Emerging Players squad for the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.