Nitish Reddy is a raw talent who has shown plenty of sparks in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in his first season of getting consistent playing time. Normally, you wouldn't rush 20-year-olds until they have shown some level of performance in at least a few seasons of IPL and domestic cricket. However, Reddy is a versatile bowler. You must have been happy to see Reddy back in the Indian team as few players can bat in the top six and mix at medium speed like him. Reddy performed very well for Sunrisers Hyderabad who beat Punjab Kings in the last league match on Sunday to clinch a postseason berth.
In 10 games, he produced 276 runs (avg. 46, strike rate 151.64), including two half-centuries. Reddy highlighted his rise during the process, despite Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma often making headlines at the top of the order. He also contributed three scalps in 12.1 overs. Picked up by Sunrisers on an initial salary of ₹20,000, Reddy failed to impress in his first season in 2023, bowling five overs without a wicket and no chance to bat in two matches. Even this season, he was not immediately thrown into the limelight. The Andhra little boy had to wait for Sunrisers' fourth game to get a chance and hasn't looked back since. Reddy's key event happened in his second match with Punjab Kings. In a surprise decision that may have been made to save Heinrich Klaasen for the final overs, Reddy walked in at No.4 for Sunrisers, who had previously dominated their opponents with ease. What came next was as amazing as it was unexpected. With a brilliant 64 (37 balls, 4x4, 5x6), Reddy stole the show and helped SRH to 182/9, a two-run victory.
Reddy showed a range befitting a young, bold batsman by crushing the pacers and reverse sweeping the spinners for boundaries. Ricky Bhui, his captain for the Andhra state team, was shocked at how convincingly Reddy turned out at No.4. In the 2023–24 Ranji Trophy season, Reddy represented Andhra in seven matches; however, it was with the ball that he left his mark, finishing as his team's top wicket-taker with 25 wickets at a strike rate of 37.6 in just seven games.
"It also felt unexpected. Was he barely batting at No.4? We kept him in the order because he was bowling and taking wickets a lot in Andhra. It's not easy for a 20-year-old to adjust to the stress of the SRH setup, despite his past success. When the 16-year-old all-rounder made his debut in the 2019-20 first-class season, Bhui made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2019. He had talent from the start. There are few all-rounders in India's U-16 and U-19 divisions; he's doing quite well. That's why we've seen him progress with the bat and the ball every year. He's been a real asset to Andhra in the last few seasons .Bhui commented: “I hope he keeps up his good form. If the knock against PBKS was any indication, Reddy's worth was further shown against Rajasthan Royals when he made an unbeaten 76 off 42 balls in reply to SRH's 35/2. He showcased his effortless 360-degree scoring range of drive speed and spin for sixes either side of the wicket Additionally, he executed a back paddle to the left of short third man when the situation called for it.
