Nitish Kumar Reddy is the Indian cricket team's new star whose incredible journey has impressed cricket fans and search trends alike
Rise from Visakhapatnam: The making of Nitish Kumar Reddy Born on 26 May 2003 in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and Kaki Nitish Kumar Reddy rose from a humble background to become a star in international cricket. His early cricketing exploits were nothing short of astonishing; for instance, during the Vijay Merchant Trophy, he scored 1237 runs at an average of 176.41, including an unbeaten 441, which still remains the tournament record. Nitish was recognized as the BCCI’s Best Under-16 Cricketer for 2017-18, becoming the first Andhra player to win the prestigious honor. His rise was driven by a deeply emotional journey: he saw his father, Mutyala Reddy, give up his job and suffer financial hardships to pursue his passion. Nitish calls his father the real hero of his success, saying, “One day I saw him crying… I realized I had to take this seriously.”
IPL success: Sunrisers Hyderabad All-rounder Sunrisers Hyderabad and rising star In the 2023 IPL auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for 20 lakhs. Although he played very little that season, he found success in IPL 2024. Nitish scored 303 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of around 142, including match-winning knocks like 60 off 64 balls against Punjab Kings and an unbeaten 76 against Rajasthan Royals, for which he won the Emerging Player of the Year award. His all-round performance further impressed SRH, who retained him for 6 crores ahead of IPL 2025.
Then the Border-Gavaskar success saw Nitish called up to the national squad for the first time in October 2024 for the T20 series against Bangladesh. Making his debut in Gwalior (Source), he showed grit and potential early on, although opportunities to shine in that format were limited. More...