Nitish Kumar Reddy leaves SRH after ugly fallout, set to join new team in IPL 2026

In a shocking development, young Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy is reportedly mulling over leaving Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ahead of the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite being retained for a massive INR 6 crore, Nitish Kumar Reddy is not happy with how things panned out in the IPL 2025 season.

The rising star is now looking for a fresh start elsewhere. As reported by India Today, Nitish is not happy with the role he was given in the IPL 2025, and now he is keen on making a fresh start with a new franchise in the next edition of the cash-rich T20 league.

Nitish Kumar Reddy set to leave Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2026

Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad retained only five players, and Nitish was one of them. Among the Indian players, only Reddy and Abhishek Sharma were retained, showing how much the SRH valued them.

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But things haven’t gone as expected for the all-rounder. In the 2025 season, the 22-year-old sensation played 13 matches, but his role in the team didn’t match his expectations. He mostly came out to bat at No. 6 or No. 7 and got very few balls to face in several matches.

As a result, Nitish could score just 182 runs and bowl only 5 overs in the entire season, which was in stark contrast to his role as a proper all-rounder.

SRH set to lose Nitish Kumar Reddy for Heinrich Klaasen

India Today claimed that Nitish Kumar Reddy had asked for the No. 4 batting position before agreeing to be retained by the SRH to make a bigger impact. But, when the season began, Sunrisers Hyderabad gave that spot to South African hitter Heinrich Klaasen.

Klaasen made the most of the opportunity and had his best IPL season ever, scoring 487 runs at a strike rate of over 170, including a century. With Klaasen firing on all cylinders and pitches being tough for middle-order batters, SRH felt they needed someone with more experience at No. 4.

That pushed Nitish down the order, and his opportunities became limited. Now, Nitish feels that the role promised to him was not given, and he is planning to leave SRH for a fresh start in the IPL 2026. If Reddy enters the IPL 2026 auction, many teams will likely be interested in him. His ability to bowl quickly and hit big shots makes him a valuable player for any side.

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Nitish Kumar Reddy accused of breaching contract

Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar Reddy is facing legal action from his former management agency, Square The One, which has filed a case seeking over ₹5 crore in unpaid dues. The agency has now approached the Delhi High Court, alleging breach of contract, with the hearing set for July 28.

The dispute began during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, after which Nitish ended ties with the agency and signed with another manager—the same as a player who was with Nitish on the Australia tour.