For Nitish Reddy, the 18th version of the IPL has lent a first-hand expertise of simply how fickle the T20 format may be. At the beginning of this yr’s summer season ritual, the 22-year-old will need to have meant to construct on his breakthrough 2024 season. In Sunrisers Hyderabad’s run to final yr’s remaining, Nitish had been the shock package deal, his quickfire runs and some overs of medium-pace offering Pat Cummins’ males higher depth within the two core departments.
The all-round abilities, in flip, helped the teen from Andhra Pradesh get fast-tracked into India’s T20I and Test groups. And he had respectable success too, notching up a maiden Test ton in opposition to Australia on the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
But over the final two months within the IPL, Nitish has endured a conspicuous downturn. In 13 matches this season, the middle-order batter tallied simply 182 runs at a median of twenty-two.75.
His strike charge of 118.95 was additionally not up to scratch. He may have to shift focus now to the five-Test tour of England, the place he is a part of an 18-member squad as considered one of two seam-bowling all-rounders alongside Shardul Thakur.
SRH coach Dan Vettori threw his weight behind Nitish. “It’s always tricky to play that role at No. 4 or 5. But we know that Nitish, when he’s at his best, builds his innings and can then capitalise at the end against pace and spin. So I think it is just one of those seasons that’s a little bit of a learning for him, but he’s too good a player not to bounce back,” the bespectacled Kiwi informed reporters.
With the ball, too, Nitish had a negligible presence, rolling his arm over in simply the final three matches. “He brought a side-strain into the tournament, and then it was just a slow, meticulous build-up. It was purely down to injury,” Vettori revealed.
Published – May 26, 2025 01:10 pm IST
