“As A Telugu Speaker…”: SRH Star Nitish Reddy Turns into First-Ever Player From Andhra Pradesh To Be Retained In IPL | Cricket News

Upon being revealed because the fifth capped retention by Sunrisers Hyderabad on IPL 2025 retention day, India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy expressed gratitude in direction of the franchise for his or her early assist and said he is devoted to reciprocating the belief positioned in him by the franchise. Reddy, a fast-bowling all-rounder, was acquired by SRH for INR 20 lakh within the public sale previous the 2023 IPL season. But he excelled in IPL 2024, clinching the Emerging Player of the Season award for scoring 303 runs at a strike fee of 143 and taking three wickets along with his bowling.

With Reddy being retained for INR 6 crore, it additionally marks the primary time a participant hailing from Andhra Pradesh has secured an IPL retention forward of the auctions. The retention has additionally meant Reddy’s IPL paycheck sees a staggering leap of 2900%.

“Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad fills me with pride. As a Telugu speaker, I’m proud to represent my region when playing for the team in the IPL. People over there in Hyderabad like me as well, as they say a Telugu player played very well for Hyderabad team and he was there when they got into the final (in IPL 2024).”

“The price tag doesn’t matter, as I’m driven to perform and help my team win. Sunrisers Hyderabad backed me initially, and now I’m committed to repaying that trust,” stated Reddy in an unique dialog with IANS from Mackay, Australia, the place India A is taking part in the primary four-day sport in opposition to Australia A.

Reddy’s efficiency in his inaugural IPL season comprised taking part in two matches, bowling 5 wicketless overs, and never having any batting alternatives. Strong performances in IPL 2024, notably scoring 64 in opposition to Punjab Kings and an unbeaten 76 in opposition to Rajasthan Royals, led to Reddy’s debut for India in T20Is in opposition to Bangladesh, adopted by a fast entry into the Test staff for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Reddy firmly believes taking part in within the IPL has made an enormous distinction in his life. “Everything has just changed like a rapid fire. Like in one year from nowhere to being something, I really feel that IPL is a big stage where my talent came out and everyone knows me now and I’m so happy that I performed well here.”

The in depth preparation and planning on the 2023 SRH camp helped Reddy enhance his power-hitting sport. Reddy made certain to observe dealing with fast-bowlers throwing at 140-plus speeds utilizing side-armers upon his return to the Andhra staff. He additionally trusts his shadow practising drills with the bat, which he claims has helped him enhance his downswing.

“After that year, I worked on my batting so hard that I would play comfortably against pacers clocking at 145-150 kmph, through timing my shots and banging them hard. I then found out that it is comparatively easier to adapt to facing bowlers who bowl at 120-130 kmph pace and that’s how everything changed for me.”

“For the past two years I’ve been working on my downswing via shadow practise. It’s not so easy doing it for 10-15 days. For one month you will get the thing right. But it should be done consistently, as then the results will follow. I have done that thing for two years and now everything is seen in the results you can see.”

Reflecting on IPL 2024, Reddy singled out the heartwarming reminiscence of his father Mutyala, embracing him with tears of happiness after his spectacular 64 runs off 37 balls at Mullanpur propelled SRH to a dramatic one-run triumph.

Back in 2016, Mutyala was working with Hindustan Zinc Limited in Visakhapatnam and was to be transferred to Udaipur in Rajasthan. But to give attention to constructing Reddy’s cricketing profession, Mutyala took an early retirement from his worthwhile authorities job to remain again dwelling.

“When he took that decision, everyone turned upon us as there is a certain respect associated with a person in a government job. But once you don’t have the government job, people treat you so differently and I saw that. Back at that time, I was just playing for fun. But seeing that, I felt like taking cricket seriously in my mind.”

“My father used to travel with me wherever I would go for playing matches, like in Anantpur or somewhere. He used to come with me, take a room to stay, and once there was no bowler, he used to throw deliveries at me with his own hands so that I could get my batting practice. I still remember all these things my father did for me in becoming what I am.”

In Mullanpur that day, the air buzzed with pleasure as Reddy’s batting abilities captivated the gang, symbolising the fruition of Mutyala’s sacrifice from 2016 to understand his son’s dream.

“I saw how happy he was in this IPL, and how he was enjoying in watching me play. A lot of people watching in stands went crazy about me and were chanting my name, and he enjoyed watching all of that coming from them. I eagerly waited for that moment to perform well in the IPL so that my father feels very happy and proud. After that game, I finally felt I was making them proud.”

For Reddy, the true delight of taking part in cricket lies within the nostalgia of his carefree childhood days spent on the sphere. “For me, whenever you play cricket, you should not be feeling that you should take the pressure or something like that. You should just enjoy being in the game, as that’s how everything started for me.”

Another supply of pleasure for him in cricket is executing a wonderfully linked reverse-sweep, though these near him could not share the identical sentiment.

During the sport between SRH and Delhi Capitals on the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 20, Reddy executed a exceptional wristy reverse-sweep on a 116kmph supply from Kuldeep Yadav, gorgeous everybody.

“I love playing reverse-sweep even though a lot of guys, – team management, mom, father and mentor told me whenever you play the reverse-sweep shot, we kind of get a heart stroke.”

“But I really enjoy playing that shot, and I don’t plan to play that shot before itself. It comes off instantly – when it connects, I really enjoy and even when it goes for six I really enjoy that a lot,” he concluded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)