To add to the drama, the light was deteriorating fast and all eyes were on the umpires. Reddy’s century not only saved team India from an embarrassment but also gave its bowlers rest.
The 21-year-old was a surprise pick in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy squad. Many pundits thought that the selection was due to his T20 and IPL exploits, but the all-rounder has proven most people wrong and has been one of the best batters for India on this tour.
In the first four innings of the series, Reddy had top scored in three innings and finally registered the much deserved century in the Boxing Day Test.
Who is Nitish Kumar Reddy
Reddy bats in the top order and is a genuine medium fast seam bowler – a rare comodiy in Indian cricket. He is expected to become India’s next seam bowling all rounder who could be a consistent feature in the squad in the coming years across formats.
Born in Visakhapatnam, Reddy started playing cricket from the age of 5, and excelled both as a batter and bowler. He was first spotted by former Indian selector MSK Prasad during U12 and U14 state level tournaments in Andhra Pradesh. Prasad encouraged Reddy to train at the Andhra Cricket Academy in Kadapa.
Reddy’s breakthrough moment came in the 2016-17 Vijay Merchant Trophy, when he scored 441 runs off just 345 balls against Nagaland. Reddy was impressive with the ball as well, as he took 26 wickets and won the ‘Best Cricketer in the U16 category.’
His big IPL break came when Sunrisers Hyderabad picked him in the 2023 IPL. He got just two games in his first season, but shone through next time.
In 2024, he got two fifties, striking at 142 and picked three wickets as well.
His exploits and rest for Hardik Pandya mean that Reddy was picked in the T20I squad shortly after, and scored a 74 against Bangladesh in his debut series. He attacked Rishad Hossain and Mehidy Hasan in that innings, earning a reputation as a spin basher.
