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Nitish Kumar Reddy: A record-breaker in age-group cricket, best under-16 cricketer and now an IPL star | Ipl News

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“Put money into him. He’s the following massive factor, not simply in franchise cricket,” India batter Hanuma Vihari quote tweeted an previous put up on X, shortly after his younger statemate Nitish Kumar Reddy smashed 64 runs off 37 balls for SunRisers Hyderabad in opposition to Punjab Kings.

As a 20-year-old, one should have critical potential to interrupt into the SRH XI this yr, with a number of worldwide stars headlining the batting and bowling departments. Sealing a breezy win over the Chennai Tremendous Kings along with his eight-ball 14 cameo at quantity six that culminated with a six, Nitish had performed sufficient to get one other go.

“Batter who can bowl medium tempo. Uncommon commodity!” Vihari wrote additional in his put up.

With SRH’s vaunted batting order collapsing to 27 for 2 and later 64 for 4 in opposition to the Punjab Kings, Nitish was promoted as stop-gap to quantity 4, forward of Heinrich Klaasen and influence substitute Rahul Tripathi.

The Vizag boy sped off the blocks with a few boundaries in opposition to Harpreet Brar earlier than smiting Kagiso Rabada and Sam Curran for sixes within the house of three deliveries. He seized his alternative with an enormous 20-run over in opposition to Brar, cracking two sixes and as many fours, catapulting SRH to a match-winning whole (182).

None of his teammates might cross 25.

He additionally chipped in with three overs of medium tempo, merely 4 years after taking on bowling significantly. His maiden IPL wicket got here with an adept slower bouncer getting the higher of Jitesh Sharma.

A record-breaker

In his early teenagers, Nitish worshipped India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli as he dominated a top-order batting function for Andhra in age-group cricket. Nitish’s breakout yr was the 2017-18 season, the place he rewrote the file books within the Vijay Service provider Trophy.

Festive offer

Nitish cracked 1,237 runs at an astounding common of 176.41 — the best mixture within the historical past of the event. Astonishingly, his run streak included a triple hundred, two centuries, two fifties and a 366-ball 441 in opposition to Nagaland.

Nitish was adjudged the ‘Finest Cricketer within the Underneath-16’ class by the BCCI on the annual award operate in 2018, when he chanced upon his batting idol, Virat.

“The bodyguards acquired in the best way, and I couldn’t meet him (Kohli),” he would comment just a few years later.

Nonetheless, with rising calls for on his physique, Nitish was pressured to rethink his function as a top-order bat and new ball bowler. “He was beneath my watch even within the U-19 circuit. Although he might play up high and likewise open the bowling, it was an excessive amount of to ask of him then. We determined to maneuver him into the middle-order and enhance his focus with the ball,” Nirmal Kumar, the present Andhra coach says.

Whereas his batting returns have been nominal within the decrease order, the seam bowling all-rounder tag bolted him into the senior Andhra crew in early 2020 earlier than changing into a daily throughout codecs from 2021. Nitish picked up 25 wickets every within the final two Ranji Trophy editions, rising because the main wicket-taker for Andhra this season throughout a quarterfinal end.

Whereas his tempo should still be within the works, Nirmal was content material to see Nitish’s batting coming alongside within the longer format with over 350 runs within the Ranji season, together with a 159 in opposition to Bihar. “He’s one of many best all-rounder abilities in India who can bat and ball equally. He’s by far the fittest participant on the Andhra aspect and an excellent all-round fielder and specialist slip-catcher.

“He’s open to any duty we advise, able to bat at any place. Can bowl the yorkers, bouncers and the loss of life overs…the complete bundle,” Nirmal remarks.

“What stands out to me from this season was how he made robust runs. In the course of the Ranji quarterfinal in opposition to Madhya Pradesh, he had picked up 4 wickets within the second-innings, and we drafted him in at 3 after an early collapse. He was capable of grind it out briefly and revive our innings. Though we misplaced, that reminiscence of his willingness to step up at any time stands out,” he provides.

Nitish’s father, Mutyala, reveals his ward’s turning level – a pivotal assembly with India’s premier all-rounder, Hardik, on the Nationwide Cricket Academy.

“Throughout his U19 days he spent on the NCA, he had an opportunity to talk to Hardik Pandya. And since then, he simply needed to be an all-rounder.”

Mutyala joined his son’s drive keenly, a lot in order that he stop his job exterior Visakhapatnam to help Nitish in his journey.

“I used to be working in Hindustan Zinc once I was transferred to Udaipur. Since I didn’t know Hindi, I used to be in two minds whether or not to go or not. Ultimately, I stayed again in Vizag solely due to Nitish’s cricket. Although he hadn’t performed for the state, he was enjoying properly in district cricket. His coaches insisted that Nitish had future, and so I made a decision to stop the job and form his profession,” Mutyala advised The Indian Specific.

The hardships have borne fruit and Nitish has realised his first step in direction of assembly Hardik in nationwide colors.

(Inputs Venkata Krishna B)



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