Nitish Reddy thanks Hanuma Vihari for being guiding light in early days

Youngster Nitish Reddy was terrific in the recently concluded Indian Premier League 2024. He was impressive with the bat for Sunrisers Hyderabad, which helped the cricketer to be in contention for the five-match series against Zimbabwe. However, due to injury, the all-rounder couldn’t make it to the 15-member squad.

With the senior cricketers returning, Reddy wasn’t considered for the upcoming Sri Lanka series, which is slated to begin on July 27. However, he remains to be in the scheme of things, especially when there’s doubt over Hardik Pandya’s fitness. The all-rounder was removed from captaincy for the same and BCCI is keeping a close eye on his fitness.

Meanwhile, Reddy recently thanked Hanuma Vihari for his guidance early in his career. The all-rounder had been making noise since the U16 days, and that’s when Vihari brought him into the Ranji Trophy team. He didn’t get an opportunity to play First Class cricket at that time but the cricketer spent time with the seniors and gained tremendous experience. Reddy also shared Vihari’s advice in which the latter asked him to adapt to the conditions fast to score runs freely.

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“Hanuma Vihari supported me. He brought me into the Ranji Trophy after a good season in under-16. He said it was too early for me to play Ranji Trophy, so I joined as an understudy to learn. The next year, he got me into the team. Even though he wasn't with me, he helped me gain experience. He told me it was just the start, and I needed to adapt to the situation,” Reddy said.

Reddy played 13 matches in IPL 2024 and made 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92. He has also played 17 FC and 22 List A matches and scored 566 runs and 403 runs respectively. A good domestic season will bring him to contention in ODI and Test cricket as well, as India are eyeing to develop him as a three-format player.