Sporting the India blue jersey for the primary time earlier than the T20I sequence 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 telephone, 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 creating 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 by way of a call-up for the 5 T20Is in opposition to Zimbabwe in July. However a hernia difficulty prevented him from becoming a member of the tour, delaying his likelihood 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 symbolize 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 strain properly, they’re those going to maintain taking part in at a much bigger stage. So it someway helped me to handle that strain and did properly within the sequence,” 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 satisfy India’s quest for a proficient fast-bowling all-rounder in Checks.
‘To be sincere, I used to be so excited to play in Australia with India A squad as a result of I’d get somewhat extra expertise of taking part in on the Australian pitches and situations earlier than going into the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
“After I heard the information that I had been chosen within the Indian Take a look at cricket staff, I used to be very joyful, 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 performances for the Indian staff,” he added.
Being in Australia, a favoured location for quick bowlers, Reddy has taken notes of modifications required to achieve such situations. “I can discover some distinction between Indian and Australian pitches – the bounce over here’s a bit larger than ones we have now 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 sort of good in Australia, as again in India it’s essential to hit that six-metre size for good size balls.”
The Indian staff administration, led by coach Gautam Gambhir, additionally acknowledges Reddy’s bowling expertise and the reward it may well carry. “They’re anticipating some overs from me as properly. They already understand how I bat and have wished me to bowl constant lengths with the red-ball. Particularly they did not point out my position, however they’ve wished for me to make the most of my bowling expertise as properly,” he acknowledged.
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 acquired the glory 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 deal with 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’d say shadow observe is the one factor that modified every thing for me. I nonetheless keep in mind once I was at U14 and U16, I used to do shadow practising quite a bit as a result of my father used to scold me for doing this factor.
“One way or the other I left that after which forgot about it in center. Now from the previous two years, I began doing the shadow observe once more, and that has made loads of influence on my cricket. I at all times need to make it possible for I do good shadow observe for no less than 30-45 minutes within the day, as that is the one factor I do mentally earlier than going for a recreation.”
The influence of practising within the shadows and bettering his capacity to hit highly effective photographs 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 staff to a two-run victory. Probably the most highly effective influence, although, got here by way of a wide ranging 74 scored in opposition to Bangladesh in New Delhi on October 9.
Throughout the power-play on the Arun Jaitley Stadium recreation, 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 because of 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. After I took that likelihood, the Bangladesh staff went down.
“When that spinner got here (Rishad Hossain), I keep in mind hitting two sixes down the bottom they usually had been again beneath strain. For the primary six overs, we had been in strain and once I really freed my arms at the moment they had been despatched beneath strain. 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 recreation, 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 form 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 once 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 numerous scenario. Like, if off-side is a much bigger boundary, I can bowl wide-yorkers or wide-slow ones. I additionally watch batters’ movies for seeing what photographs they’re robust in and what lengths I can bowl to curb them.”
The potential for Reddy going through Pat Cummins and Travis Head within the Border-Gavaskar Trophy excites him, particularly since they had 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 examine the way it goes and I hope every thing goes as per how we plan accordingly.”
Outdoors 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 a giant fan. He additionally enjoys taking part in loads of PUBG together with his pals, which he calls as a ‘stress buster’.
“It has been five-six years of taking part in this recreation. Like each time I had a nasty or not so joyful performances, I form of come to play PUBG and that is form of satisfying and refreshing for me.”
Whereas passionate cricket followers would get up at 4:30 am to observe India’s Checks in Australia, a younger Reddy would begin his day at 5 am, making ready to journey 20 km day by day to observe on the Visakhapatnam stadium.
Regardless of not with the ability to watch India’s Checks in Australia on TV, he seemed ahead to catching up on them as soon as he was again dwelling. He fondly remembers each Take a look at India performed in Australia as ‘so good’, particularly the extreme matchups between the formidable Australian staff and the skillful Indian gamers.
Reddy will face intense all-round scrutiny as he competes in overseas situations for the primary time by 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 provide him a bonus as he strives to satisfy one other childhood dream – of taking part in Take a look at cricket for India.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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