Nitish Kumar Reddy Interview: ‘I have overdone things… now I realise that’
NEW DELHI: Nitish Kumar Reddy had the world at his feet when he scored his maiden Test century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2024. In his debut series, the all-rounder showed great promise, offering India hope of ending their search for a seam-bowling all-rounder in the format and providing a solid option in limited-overs cricket. After his T20I debut, his entry into the ODI setup followed quickly; within 12 months, he became a regular in the squad.
However, performances didn't match the early potential and promise, and ill-timed injuries never allowed him to put a consistent foot forward. He was part of the squad for the Test series in England but an injury before the Manchester Test ruled him out of the last two matches. Even after he regained fitness, the management never found a way to unlock his potential.
The batting number remained debatable in whites and the bowling opportunities raised many pertinent questions. They kept him in the scheme of things but the message remained clear: the selectors and coaches wanted him to improve his bowling significantly. With that clear direction, the youngster had his task cut out.
After featuring in the domestic circuit for Andhra Pradesh, 'NKR' converted his social media scrolling into something meaningful. He came across Steffan Jones, founder of PaceLab, and feedback from his colleagues in Andhra and Hyderabad was enough to prompt that visit. A week of solid work later, the 22-year-old returned as a better bowler, more aware of his skillset, and this is reflecting in the way he has bowled in the IPL so far.
The confidence is rubbing off on his batting too as he has not shied away from doing the heavy lifting for the franchise. In an exclusive conversation with TimesofIndia. com, the all-rounder opens up on the need of not overdoing things, the mental toughness, awareness about his game and the dream of playing for India in 2027 ODI World Cup.
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