"Ultimate goal is to be the best all-rounder in the world"- Nitish Kumar Reddy's indirect jibe at Hardik Pandya

Young SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy recently shared his aspirations of representing the India National Cricket Team shortly. Nitish Kumar Reddy highlighted that achieving his goal of playing for the India cricket team will be the biggest thing for both him and his family.

Nitish Kumar was picked by SunRisers Hyderabad for Rs 20 lakhs before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. Nitish played only two matches last season in the T20 tournament. He did not bat and went wicketless with an economy rate of 10.80. However, he was retained by the team for the IPL 2024 season.

However, the 21-year-old all-rounder had an impressive 2024 IPL season with SunRisers Hyderabad. Nitish Kumar amassed 303 runs in 13 innings at a decent average of 33.67 and a strike rate of 142.92, including two half-centuries. The right-arm pacer picked up three wickets with an expensive economy rate of 11.62.

The young cricketer was fast-tracked into the India national cricket team based on his impressive IPL performance with SunRisers Hyderabad. The Andhra Pradesh-born cricketer was selected for the recent five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. However, he had to withdraw from the tour due to a hernia injury.

It'll Be Emotional Whenever I Play - Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy stated that his primary goal is to secure a place on the national team. He expressed that playing for India would be a significant achievement for his family. He also mentioned that his ultimate goal is to become the best all-rounder in the world.

"It'll be emotional whenever I play, but for that, I have to put in the work. Playing for India will be the biggest thing for my family," Nitish said.

"My ultimate goal is to be the best all-rounder in the world. I have that belief. It's just about staying true to my game and being humble," he added.

Nitish's father, Mutyala Reddy, resigned from his Rajasthan job to return to Andhra Pradesh when his son was just 13 years old. Mutyala Reddy supported his son’s cricket practice in Andhra Pradesh. He made this sacrifice to support his son's cricket aspirations, fully committing to Nitish's development and future.

Fame Is A Funny Thing - Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy said that he became emotional when he received his first India kit last month and called his father in Visakhapatnam to share the news of his T20I selection for the Zimbabwe tour. Reddy reflected on how the same people who once criticized his father now praise his decision.

"Fame is a funny thing. After the IPL, the same people who told my father how he was foolish to risk his career for me started praising him for his foresight. I remembered they got emotional when my India kit arrived," Reddy further stated.

In the 2024 IPL, Nitish Reddy initially didn’t play in the first three matches. When given a chance against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), he scored an unbeaten 14 off eight deliveries. In his next match, Reddy scored 64 runs off 37 balls against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), helping SunRisers Hyderabad recover from a collapse.

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