Virat Kohli's retirement mentioned by Nitish Kumar Reddy a game after his 81st International Ton

Team India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy recently shared an emotional story about his journey to playing alongside his idol Virat Kohli for the national cricket team. Nitish Kumar Reddy stated that he was a huge fan of Virat Kohli and used to calculate his age, hoping he would debut before his retirement.

Nitish Kumar came into the limelight during the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). He made his Test debut for India during the first Test against Australia in Perth. The young cricketer received his Test cap from Virat. Reddy scored 79 runs across both innings and took one wicket in the match.

This Was a Safety Photo - Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar Reddy recalled taking a selfie with Virat Kohli at a BCCI awards function. Reddy stated that he cherishes this memory from his childhood. The Andhra cricketer highlighted that he dreamt of playing alongside Virat before his retirement.

"This was a safety photo, at the time he (Virat Kohli) was so famous. I felt that if I don't get a photo chance, let's take a picture now. It reminds me of my childhood memories," Reddy said in a video shared by bcci.tv.

"From childhood, I was a huge fan of Virat bhaiya. I used to watch every match of his, so that he scores a hundred and celebrates it. I liked his celebration a lot – at that time, I used to calculate my age so as to see if he doesn't retire when I make my debut for India," he added.

So Pumped Up When He Got His 81st Hundred - Nitish Kumar Reddy

Nitish Kumar shared his experience of watching Virat Kohli score his 81st international century during the last match. He described it as a special moment in his cricketing journey. Reddy also stated that he forgot about his half-century while celebrating Virat's century.

"Now playing with him and I was seeing him close to ten runs, then five runs and I was thinking, he's close to getting his hundred. Even, I didn't realize that I was close to getting my fifty – it would be my first fifty in Tests if I scored 12 runs. I was so pumped up when he got his 81st hundred and it was a great moment to see," he added in the aforementioned video.

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 runs off 143 balls in the second innings of the Perth Test. He helped India set a challenging target of 534 runs for Australia in the fourth innings. Reddy scored 38 runs off 27 balls, including three boundaries and two sixes.

I Was a Bit Nervous At First - Nitish Kumar Reddy

The 21-year-old all-rounder said that he initially felt nervous about interacting with senior players after joining the Indian team. He credited KL Rahul for helping him feel comfortable, noting that his positive attitude made a significant difference.

“I was a bit nervous at first about how I would interact with players. So, if I have any problems, I just want to go and talk with KL bhai. I somehow feel good vibes from him, whatever suggestions he gives it works for me,” Reddy stated.

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