MI vs SRH: "I am a genuine all-rounder" - Nitish Kumar Reddy's response to Ajit Agarkar's comments on Hardik Pandya

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) Nitish Kumar Reddy made interesting remarks after his batting performance against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Nitish Kumar Reddy described himself as a genuine all-rounder, expressing his eagerness to contribute with both bat and ball.

SunRisers Hyderabad narrowly defeated the Rajasthan Royals by one run at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday, May 2. Nitish Kumar Reddy scored an unbeaten 76 runs off 42 balls as SRH posted a total of 201 runs. The home team successfully defended their total in a thrilling encounter.

The 20-year-old formed a crucial partnership of 96 runs with Travis Head after the early wicket of Abhishek Sharma. He also shared an unbeaten 70-run stand with Heinrich Klaasen. He smashed 20 runs off Yuzvendra Chahal in one over during the match. Nitish Kumar hit three boundaries and eight maximums.

I Was Waiting For Batting Opportunity - Nitish Kumar

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Nitish Kumar Reddy expressed confidence in his abilities, calling himself a 'genuine all-rounder'. Reddy stated that he waited for the opportunity to showcase his batting prowess despite a lack of opportunities last year.

“Actually last year also I was waiting for batting opportunity which I did not get but I did get to bowl. I am a genuine all-rounder who can bat, ball and field as well. So I am looking forward for the all-round performance. I was waiting for this batting opportunity since last year. This year management gave me a chance and I don’t want to throw it away,” Nitish Kumar said.

Nitish Kumar Reddy made his debut for the Hyderabad-based team in the last edition of the IPL. The Andhra Pradesh-born cricketer represented the team in two matches but didn't get a chance to bat. The right-arm pacer went wicketless and conceded 10.80 runs per over in the previous year's tournament.

My Role Is To Carry Till 14th Over - Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy emphasized his role in stabilizing the innings to set the stage for power hitters like Heinrich Klaasen. The all-rounder highlighted his calculated aggression against Yuzvendra Chahal to increase the scoring rate.

“From the last two matches, it is happening like this. My role is to carry till 14th over-13th over to get Heinrich Klaasen to bang. So there is no point if Heinrich Klaasen is getting to bat in 8th over and they can’t score freely. I was trying to build the innings and attack the one over. So exactly at the time I saw Yuzvendra Chahal coming – I had to go for Chahal and that over went pretty well,” Nitish Kumar added.

Following the victory, the Hyderabad team moved up to fourth place in the points table. They have secured six victories out of 10 matches in the tournament. The team will next face the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their next match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday, May 6.

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