IPL 2024: Who is Nitish Kumar Reddy, youngster who impressed in SRH's win over PBKS?

Nitish Kumar Reddy was in some form when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) took on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) contest in Mullanpur on Tuesday. Coming into bat in as early as the fourth over, Nitish Reddy scored 64 off just 37 balls to power SRH to 182/9. That would later prove to be a match-winning effort as SRH defended the total successfully, beating PBKS by two runs. In a tournament where young Indian cricketers have impressed, 20-year-old Nitish Reddy is the latest sensation to join that list.

Reddy slammed four fours and five sixes and struck at a rate of 172.97. He was involved in a half-century stand with Abdul Samad, who scored 25 off 12 balls.

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Reddy, who won the Player of the Math, said it was all about his self-belief. “For me it’s like a big contribution for my team and for myself. I have been telling myself that I should believe in myself. The seamers were bowling well, I didn’t want to take on them. I knew that the spinners would come, and I wanted to attack them, I just did that,” Reddy said during the presentation ceremony.

So, who is Nitish Kumar Reddy?

Nitish Reddy was born in Visakhapatnam on 26 May 2003. He plays as a batting all-rounder and bats right-handed. He plays domestic cricket for Andhra Pradesh and made his first class debut against Kerala during a Ranji Trophy match in January 2020. In only his second first-class game that year, Nitish took a five-wicket haul that came against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy.

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Reddy initially began his cricketing career at Andhra as an opening batter but then went onto bat at the No 3 position in the Vinoo Mankad Under-19 tournament during the 2018-19 season. At 15 years old, Nitish won the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy during the BCCI annual awards ceremony for 2017-18.

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He made his List-A debut for Andhra during a Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Vidarbha in February 2021. Although he went wicketless in the three overs he bowled in that match, Nitish played a match-winning knock of 54 to help Andhra win by three wickets.

At the IPL 2023 player auction, Nitish Reddy was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for his base price of Rs 20 lakh. He made his IPL debut against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on 18 May 2023 but endured wicketless figures of 0/19 from two overs as SRH suffered an eight-wicket defeat.

In the Ranji Trophy this season, Nitish Reddy finished with 366 runs from seven matches while also taking 25 wickets.