Every IPL season throws up new faces, some whose names not many would have heard before. However, there are some, who many want to see if they can live up to what they did in domestic cricket, in the IPL, in pressure situations, in front of big crowds while being given responsibility in a team filled of star quality. The Andhra all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy was one such commodity, who was coming off a breakthrough season in the Ranji Trophy as a pace-bowling all-rounder, a rare phenomenon in Indian cricket.
But it's not often that players are able to replicate their domestic form in the IPL as well, especially for someone who had missed the last two seasons of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. But here he was, playing at No 4, scoring runs at a strike rate of 143, taking wickets and winning the Emerging Player of the Season award as well as two games on his own for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, who themselves had a remarkable turnaround from finishing 10th last year to playing the final in 2024.
Nitish sat down in a freewheeling chat with India TV after an IPL season that has already concocted tales of him playing for India in the near future.
Excerpts from the interview
Nitish congratulations, firstly, on a fantastic season. Just wanted to start off by asking if you had set any goals for yourself or did have any expectations before the season?
To be honest, I personally don't have any personal goals like I had to score this many runs or to maintain this much strike rate and all that. I used to think that I might get the opportunity in finishing role. So I practiced for that in net sessions and in the off-season as well. I practiced my downswing as well and power hitting, you name it. So that's what I went through my preparations. I never looked into personal goals of scoring this many runs or that many, just wanted to prepare according to the role in which the team needs me.
Recently in an interview you said that you didn't expect to get picked by anyone and was surprised that Sunrisers retained you... any particular reason?
I am not playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali [domestic T20 tournament] from last two years, I've been missing out. It's been coincidence that exactly before Syed Mushtaq Ali, I am getting injured. I was not playing the Syed Mushtaq Ali so I thought that no one would watch me and I wouldn't get picked up. But when I went to Sunrisers trials, they were really impressed. I thought they were impressed with everyone but everyone won't get that opportunity. But when they really pick me and I was so happy.
And when you didn't start in the playing XI [this season], were there any doubts that you might stay on bench?
First year I used to have this doubt that maybe I won't get an opportunity now because team is fully packed with good Indian players and outstation players. I thought wouldn't be getting chances but eventually, I got chance in last two matches which I didn't expect. But I couldn't prove my batting last year. This year from starting I had this feeling that I will be getting chances because they were so interested in me compared to last year. I didn't play the first three matches and in the fourth match against Punjab, I got a chance and utilised that.
Recently your Andhra skipper Ricky Bhui said that he was also surprised to see you bat at number four as well as you did, starting with the game against Punjab because you've generally played much down the order in domestic cricket. So what change did it require from you to adjust to the role?
I would say I didn't play a lot of T20 games. I don't have that much experience but by watching T20 games, the way Indian team [is playing]. Before IPL I watched a lot of T20 cricket. I guess a little more experience I got by watching and practically I've been playing now and I'm gaining more [experience].
What was the preparation like for No 4 as you were saying you were preparing for the lower order role?
So before, I used to open when I was playing age group. Eventually, I got this all rounder role and started playing number five to seven. So then I had to adapt to this role to play in the lower order and contribute with bowling as well. So I started playing in the lower order because I want to gain more experience there. Going into the Indian team in the future I might be playing that role so I want to make sure I'm pretty confident in that role.
I got the same role in SRH as well at first but after the first match, they were lacking a middle order batsman because Mayank had a trouble of fever or something. So they wanted me to try as they knew that I was talented but in the back of mind they also had this thing 'he is so young' and that he didn't have experience. So I got a chance against Punjab and the way I played, they started believing that this guy is something beyond we thought and that's where everything started.
Just a bit more on No 4! With the approach that Sunrisers as a team took this year, there were times you had to walk-in, in the powerplay when the team had lost a couple of early wickets and there were times when you had to just come to finish the game. So how does your mindset change or adjust?
Yeah, actually I've been preparing for what if the team collapses. I know we are an attacking batting order side and obviously Abhishek and Travis Head were going to attack and that doesn't go well every game. So I've been visualizing the situation that if I would get into power play how I'm going to build my innings and how I'm going to keep myself calm and composed. And that helps me I guess to be prepared for such situation.
In the pre-season interview to India TV only you said that not many knew about your batting prowess other than your teammates in Andhra so how did that communication happened with SRH?
Last two years Andhra people know me well because we play Ranji Trophy together. But not many knew that I bat because in IPL's first year I showed up as a bowler and in U-23 India also I showed up as a bowler. I didn't get a chance to bat and when I when I was going to get a chance, I got dropped. When all these things happened, I was bit demotivated.
So, I focussed more on my batting skills last two years. I've been working on a lot of things in my batting. In trials, SRH saw me and they really had a good impression of me. And when I was playing in the nets and we had a practice matches, and I really did well.
And now so for an all rounder, how does the training differ?
If you ask me, it matters a lot for us. Especially for all-rounders. It's not that easy for us to maintain our fitness because the recovery part everything matters including sleep pattern. So we have to be disciplined about all these things otherwise you will be getting injured frequently.
How much do you devote your time to batting? And how much to bowling? Like, what is the balance, in training?
It depends on my body. It depends on the way my body is reacting that day. If I feel like I can bowl some balls if I'm not tired and all I will bowl. If I feel like I can bat a little more, I'll do that. That also depends upon game timings. If it's an off-season, I'll push my limits if it's not offseason, I won't push that much as I want to be fresh before the game.
Also, congratulations for being the most expensive player in the Andhra League player auction. Does that put pressure on you because whatever you do from now, whether in the league or for the state side in domestic cricket, there will be eyes on you, since people have already started taking your name along with Hardik Pandya as the genuine pace-bowling all rounder option that could do well for India in the future?
Of course, if you ask me there will be pressure because before they didn't have that much expectations from me, and now they'll be expecting more from me even my franchise and my state association. If you ask me, there is one point I strongly believe in. There are a lot of talented guys more than me, maybe but the one who handles the pressure well, the one who is strong in his mind, at that point, in that situation. You have to be mentally strong, you have to be dedicated to yourself and you have to be confident enough in your game because you have to believe that you are going to do well.
And how was it meeting your idol Virat Kohli, players like MS Dhoni and working with Pat Cummins as a skipper?
It's always good like playing with the world's best players and getting [to learn from] their experience of course. I'm a young player and I wouldn't be having that much experience but watching them playing in our team and also against us, I have learned a lot. And I'm so happy that I getting that experience from them. I mean playing along with Australian World Cup-winning Captain, I'm so happy that I played under him [Cummins] and I learned a lot of things.
And Kohli and Dhoni?
Obviously, meeting them and watching them playing, bowling to them or playing against them in general, it's always a good feeling that I will cherish. If you ask about Dhoni, I just played a couple of balls in front of him. I met Dhoni for the first time three years ago. I was a net bowler in CSK. I played alongside Pat Cummins and they both seem similar. They're very cool, they're very calm composed. I feel they're both pretty similar captaincy-wise.
Lastly, are you the kind of person who likes to stay in present and focus on the job at hand and that everything else would take care of itself? Or are you the one who has already started thinking of higher honours - the India cap with the Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka series scheduled after the T20 World Cup?
I don't really know what's coming up next [for India after T20 World Cup]. I just focus on what I have to do. When my manager was saying I thought I might have a chance to play there. But not really thinking that I have to get my name there. I just want to focus on the things which I want to improve the season I faced a bit of a struggle at a point. So, I just want to make sure next year I won't be having that trouble. I want to stay in the present.
