New Delhi: Nitish ReddyAt the young age of 12, he witnessed the immense rejection his father Mutyalu faced after he resigned from his job to prioritise his son’s cricketing aspirations.
Now, at the age of 21, this young all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh has been selected to represent India for the first time. T20I Series during Zimbabwe tourDespite this significant achievement, Nitish believes he has accomplished only half of his mission to make his “grandfather” proud.
He said, “It is a matter of pride to make it to the Indian team but it is only 50 percent of the dream.“It will only be complete when I can wear that jersey and win matches for my country. I want to see respect for my father in the eyes of those who once criticised him for believing in my talent,” an emotional Reddy told PTI in an exclusive interview.
Born in a middle-class family in Visakhapatnam, Reddy started attending camps at the young age of nine. However, a turning point came at the age of 12. His father, who worked in a central government enterprise, was transferred from his hometown to Rajasthan due to the transfer of the division.
The move was a pivotal moment in Reddy’s life, as it brought new challenges and opportunities. Despite the upheaval, he remained determined to pursue his interests and adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings.
“My father made enquiries and found that the city we were supposed to live in was not good for my sports development. My father decided to quit his job after talking to my mother. He got around Rs 20 lakh as final payment and decided to start a money lending business. Unfortunately, some of his close friends cheated him and he lost all his earnings,” Reddy said about the most horrific phase of his life.
“People from all sides came down on him for losing his earnings after he quit his job. Our relatives, neighbours never agreed that someone should quit his job to fulfil his son’s ambitions.
“I could hear those discussions even at the age of 12-13. I understood everything. It was a promise I made to myself that only one thing could save my father’s reputation – a India Calling” He paused a bit.
The young cricketer faced severe financial crisis during his early days of the game after his father’s business suffered huge losses.
Though bat sponsors usually support players once they establish themselves, at least at the Under-19 state level, the initial phase was challenging for him due to acute shortage of funds.
“Would you believe that at the beginning of competitive cricket at the junior level, I would only have one bat every season. It wasn’t as expensive as it is now, but a good English willow would still go for a few thousand dollars. The edges of the wood would break, crack in all the right places. I would tape those places and carry on playing,” he said, pain evident in his voice.
After his impressive performance in IPL this year SRHWhere he scored 303 runs at a strike rate of 142 and took three wickets, the situation has changed from there.
“Relatives and neighbours, who were critical of us at the time, now want us to come to their homes and praise my father for taking the risk,” he laughs.
‘Worked with side-arm specialists after Emerging Trophy’
In the year 2023, the national selectors were on a mission to find a genuine all-rounder who could serve as a reliable backup hardik pandyaAfter careful deliberation, they identified Reddy as the ideal candidate for the role.
To further assess his abilities, the selectors decided to include him in the India Under-23 squad that was to travel to Sri Lanka for the Emerging Trophy tournament.
“I was a bit demoralised after that tournament. I was dropped after a few games and didn’t get a chance to bat and show my skills. When you have games that people are watching, it’s important to showcase your skills.”
Talking about his routine, he said, “Even in the 2023 IPL, I played the last 2 matches for SRH and did not get a chance to bat. I increased my practice hours after coming back from Sri Lanka.”
“I started spending more time in the nets and also hired some side arm specialists (throwdowns) available in Vizag and practiced for a month. They were all sending the ball at 145 clicks and initially I found it difficult and then by the end of the month I adjusted to it. This practice helped me a lot when I played IPL this season and I could hit sixes,” said the player who hit 21 sixes in 13 matches as a finisher.
“The six I hit against CSK gave me a lot of confidence in my batting. As far as my bowling is concerned, my effort is to consistently bowl the right lines and work on my body and rhythm, so that I can increase my speed by 3-4 kmph.”
‘I am grateful to Klaasen and Bhuvi bhai’
His SRH captain pat cummins He had a simple advice for him.
The World Cup-winning Australian captain advised him, “You are a good all-rounder who should use the IPL to perform well and gain as much experience as possible.”
“But the two senior players from SRH who have given some really good technical hints are Heinrich Classen and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Klaasen told me about match situations and shot selection. All his points were technical and it helped my power game,” he concluded.
Now, at the age of 21, this young all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh has been selected to represent India for the first time. T20I Series during Zimbabwe tourDespite this significant achievement, Nitish believes he has accomplished only half of his mission to make his “grandfather” proud.
He said, “It is a matter of pride to make it to the Indian team but it is only 50 percent of the dream.“It will only be complete when I can wear that jersey and win matches for my country. I want to see respect for my father in the eyes of those who once criticised him for believing in my talent,” an emotional Reddy told PTI in an exclusive interview.
Born in a middle-class family in Visakhapatnam, Reddy started attending camps at the young age of nine. However, a turning point came at the age of 12. His father, who worked in a central government enterprise, was transferred from his hometown to Rajasthan due to the transfer of the division.
The move was a pivotal moment in Reddy’s life, as it brought new challenges and opportunities. Despite the upheaval, he remained determined to pursue his interests and adjust to the unfamiliar surroundings.
“My father made enquiries and found that the city we were supposed to live in was not good for my sports development. My father decided to quit his job after talking to my mother. He got around Rs 20 lakh as final payment and decided to start a money lending business. Unfortunately, some of his close friends cheated him and he lost all his earnings,” Reddy said about the most horrific phase of his life.
“People from all sides came down on him for losing his earnings after he quit his job. Our relatives, neighbours never agreed that someone should quit his job to fulfil his son’s ambitions.
“I could hear those discussions even at the age of 12-13. I understood everything. It was a promise I made to myself that only one thing could save my father’s reputation – a India Calling” He paused a bit.
The young cricketer faced severe financial crisis during his early days of the game after his father’s business suffered huge losses.
Though bat sponsors usually support players once they establish themselves, at least at the Under-19 state level, the initial phase was challenging for him due to acute shortage of funds.
“Would you believe that at the beginning of competitive cricket at the junior level, I would only have one bat every season. It wasn’t as expensive as it is now, but a good English willow would still go for a few thousand dollars. The edges of the wood would break, crack in all the right places. I would tape those places and carry on playing,” he said, pain evident in his voice.
After his impressive performance in IPL this year SRHWhere he scored 303 runs at a strike rate of 142 and took three wickets, the situation has changed from there.
“Relatives and neighbours, who were critical of us at the time, now want us to come to their homes and praise my father for taking the risk,” he laughs.
‘Worked with side-arm specialists after Emerging Trophy’
In the year 2023, the national selectors were on a mission to find a genuine all-rounder who could serve as a reliable backup hardik pandyaAfter careful deliberation, they identified Reddy as the ideal candidate for the role.
To further assess his abilities, the selectors decided to include him in the India Under-23 squad that was to travel to Sri Lanka for the Emerging Trophy tournament.
“I was a bit demoralised after that tournament. I was dropped after a few games and didn’t get a chance to bat and show my skills. When you have games that people are watching, it’s important to showcase your skills.”
Talking about his routine, he said, “Even in the 2023 IPL, I played the last 2 matches for SRH and did not get a chance to bat. I increased my practice hours after coming back from Sri Lanka.”
“I started spending more time in the nets and also hired some side arm specialists (throwdowns) available in Vizag and practiced for a month. They were all sending the ball at 145 clicks and initially I found it difficult and then by the end of the month I adjusted to it. This practice helped me a lot when I played IPL this season and I could hit sixes,” said the player who hit 21 sixes in 13 matches as a finisher.
“The six I hit against CSK gave me a lot of confidence in my batting. As far as my bowling is concerned, my effort is to consistently bowl the right lines and work on my body and rhythm, so that I can increase my speed by 3-4 kmph.”
‘I am grateful to Klaasen and Bhuvi bhai’
His SRH captain pat cummins He had a simple advice for him.
The World Cup-winning Australian captain advised him, “You are a good all-rounder who should use the IPL to perform well and gain as much experience as possible.”
“But the two senior players from SRH who have given some really good technical hints are Heinrich Classen and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Klaasen told me about match situations and shot selection. All his points were technical and it helped my power game,” he concluded.
