Sporting the India blue jersey for the primary time earlier than the T20I collection opener in opposition to Bangladesh earlier this month, Nitish Kumar Reddy felt a surge of happiness that prompted him to take a mirror selfie. Afterward, he discovered himself glued to that image on his cellphone, savouring the happiness of realising a dream he had nurtured since he first began taking part in the game as a baby – to play for India. Reddy’s distinctive efficiency of constructing 303 runs in 11 innings and taking three wickets together with his seam-up for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024 earned him the Rising Participant of the Season award. It led to his fast entry to the nationwide set-up through a call-up for the 5 T20Is in opposition to Zimbabwe in July. However a hernia challenge prevented him from becoming a member of the tour, delaying his probability to play for India.
The wait lastly culminated within the lead-up to India’s first T20I in opposition to Bangladesh in Gwalior, the place Reddy made his worldwide debut. “That second, I felt prouder of myself on how far I had come, one thing I had dreamt of. Now, I used to be lastly about to characterize India, as I knew I used to be going to get an opportunity within the first match.
“I used to be so excited, and on the identical time, that nervousness was additionally there of representing India. However I at all times used to imagine that whoever handles that stress nicely, they’re those going to maintain taking part in at an even bigger degree. So it one way or the other helped me to handle that stress and did nicely within the collection,” stated Reddy in an unique dialog with IANS.
Reddy is presently in Mackay, Australia, the place India A is making ready to compete within the first of two four-day matches in opposition to Australia A starting on Thursday. Along with his choice in India’s squad for the essential Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Reddy is a contender to meet India’s quest for a proficient fast-bowling all-rounder in Exams.
‘To be sincere, I used to be so excited to play in Australia with India A squad as a result of I might get slightly extra expertise of taking part in on the Australian pitches and situations earlier than going into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“Once I heard the information that I had been chosen within the Indian Check cricket workforce, I used to be very glad, because it’s everybody’s dream to play for India in white-ball and extra so, in red-ball cricket. For me, that dream is now on the verge of changing into a actuality. I simply need to enhance myself as a lot as I can and ship by way of performances for the Indian workforce,” he added.
Being in Australia, a favoured location for quick bowlers, Reddy has taken notes of modifications required to reach such situations. “I can discover some distinction between Indian and Australian pitches – the bounce over here’s a bit increased than ones we’ve got again dwelling, which must be adjusted accordingly, and that is what we’re precisely attempting to do right here.
“When I’m practising my bowling, I’m simply having fun with the bounce balls getting right here and adjusting accordingly. Hitting that five-six metre size is kind of good in Australia, as again in India you should hit that six-metre size for good size balls.”
The Indian workforce administration, led by coach Gautam Gambhir, additionally acknowledges Reddy’s bowling abilities and the reward it might probably carry. “They’re anticipating some overs from me as nicely. They already know the way I bat and have needed me to bowl constant lengths with the red-ball. Particularly they did not point out my position, however they’ve needed for me to make the most of my bowling abilities as nicely,” he said.
Reddy’s entry into the limelight started in red-ball cricket when he opened the 2017/18 Vijay Service provider Trophy with a triple-century in opposition to Tamil Nadu, then hit 190 in opposition to Karnataka, and went on to attain an enormous 441 runs off 345 balls in opposition to Nagaland. He obtained the dignity of being the highest U-16 cricketer on the 2018 BCCI awards for scoring 1237 runs with a median of 176.41.
Whereas shifting from age-group cricket to representing Andhra in first-class cricket, Reddy, a right-handed batsman, shifted to being a lower-order batter to concentrate on making use of his seam-bowling skills. Assuming the new-ball bowling duties for Andhra proved to achieve success as he secured 25 wickets, probably the most by a bowler from his state within the final season of the Ranji Trophy.
Regardless of his batting common of 21.45 in first-class cricket, Reddy is assured of turning it round with the bat, due to his shadow batting routine. “I might say shadow follow is the one factor that modified the whole lot for me. I nonetheless bear in mind after I was at U14 and U16, I used to do shadow working towards so much as a result of my father used to scold me for doing this factor.
“By some means I left that after which forgot about it in center. Now from the previous two years, I began doing the shadow follow once more, and that has made plenty of affect on my cricket. I at all times need to make it possible for I do good shadow follow for no less than 30-45 minutes within the day, as that is the one factor I do mentally earlier than going for a sport.”
The affect of working towards within the shadows and bettering his potential to hit highly effective pictures whereas taking part in for SRH was clear in his 64 runs in opposition to Punjab Kings, which helped SRH win by a single run. His undefeated 76 runs in opposition to Rajasthan Royals led the workforce to a two-run victory. Probably the most highly effective affect, although, got here through a panoramic 74 scored in opposition to Bangladesh in New Delhi on October 9.
In the course of the power-play on the Arun Jaitley Stadium sport, India misplaced captain Suryakumar Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Sanju Samson. Reddy and Rinku Singh meant to rotate strike and regulate to the scenario. Nonetheless, Reddy was biding his time to strike, and the chance arose when he hit a six off a free-hit attributable to a no-ball from Mahmudullah.
Reddy’s highly effective hitting on the leg-side helped him rating 74 runs in simply 34 balls, finally securing India’s series-winning triumph from a difficult place. “I noticed that second got here when the spinner was coming to bowl at the moment and I felt that is the over to do it. Once I took that probability, the Bangladesh workforce went down.
“When that spinner got here (Rishad Hossain), I bear in mind hitting two sixes down the bottom they usually have been again below stress. For the primary six overs, we have been in stress and after I truly freed my arms at the moment they have been despatched below stress. That is the place I noticed the concern of their faces and did what I needed to do.”
Reddy completely researches what’s required of him when it comes to batting and bowling for any sport, with assist from analysts, whatever the format. “For batting preparation, I simply need to see how they bowl, like have they got googly, off-break or leg-spin, the sort of slower ones they bowl – both off-cutter or again of the arm.”
“I additionally see what variation is there in them, in order that after I go and play within the center, it shouldn’t be stunning for me. From a bowling perspective, it is all about planning what to bowl in varied scenario. Like, if off-side is an even bigger boundary, I can bowl wide-yorkers or wide-slow ones. I additionally watch batters’ movies for seeing what pictures they’re robust in and what lengths I can bowl to curb them.”
The potential for Reddy dealing with Pat Cummins and Travis Head within the Border-Gavaskar Trophy excites him, particularly since they have been beforehand related on the SRH camp, with Cummins as his captain and Head as his teammate.
“I need to expertise how it’s like taking part in in opposition to them, as in comparison with taking part in with Pat and Travis at SRH. Let’s have a look at the way it goes and I hope the whole lot goes as per how we plan accordingly.”
Exterior of cricket, Reddy likes going for a stroll together with his team-mates in streets after dinner and watching motion pictures of Telugu movie actor Mahesh Babu, of who he’s an enormous fan. He additionally enjoys taking part in plenty of PUBG together with his buddies, which he calls as a ‘stress buster’.
“It has been five-six years of taking part in this sport. Like each time I had a foul or not so glad performances, I sort of come to play PUBG and that is sort of satisfying and refreshing for me.”
Whereas passionate cricket followers would get up at 4:30 am to observe India’s Exams in Australia, a younger Reddy would begin his day at 5 am, making ready to journey 20 km each day to follow on the Visakhapatnam stadium.
Regardless of not having the ability to watch India’s Exams in Australia on TV, he regarded ahead to catching up on them as soon as he was again dwelling. He fondly remembers each Check India performed in Australia as ‘so good’, particularly the extraordinary matchups between the formidable Australian workforce and the skillful Indian gamers.
Reddy will face intense all-round scrutiny as he competes in overseas situations for the primary time by way of the India ‘A’ facet, in opposition to the likes of worldwide gamers like Cameron Bancroft and Marcus Harris.
However Reddy’s expertise of performing in high-pressure conditions within the IPL and a previous style of taking part in worldwide cricket are anticipated to present him a bonus as he strives to meet one other childhood dream – of taking part in Check cricket for India.
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