Hardik Pandya laid foundation for Nitish Reddy’s all-round success

Hardik Pandya. Pic/AFP

India all-rounder, Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has emerged as a pivotal figure in the Boxing Day Test here, has ushered in a new chapter of his Test career. He became the fifth Indian batsman to record a century in his debut match on this ground. However, it is noteworthy that Reddy, who occupies the No. 8 position in the batting order, originally batted as an opener during his junior cricket days. An off-spin bowler in his early years, he was advised by a renowned all-rounder from Team India to concentrate on his bowling, and the results have now become evident to the global audience. This all-rounder happens to be Hardik Pandya, a successful player in Team India's white-ball format.

Currently, Reddy is recognised as a medium pace all-rounder, a transition from his previous bowling style. His impressive performances in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Sunrisers Hyderabad garnered significant attention. Following a bout of back problems, Reddy went to the National Cricket Academy (NCA), where he was observed by Pandya.

During his rehabilitation, Pandya witnessed Reddy's medium pace bowling and encouraged him to adhere to his technique.

"Hardik was thoroughly impressed by Nitish's batting and bowling approach. At that time, very few young players were exhibiting such aggressive batting in the lower order. Hardik provided guidance on how to play aggressively when batting lower down the order. As bowling is an additional skill for Nitish, Hardik instilled in him confidence that he could evolve into a valuable all-rounder for Team India in the future," said a source.

Moreover, Hardik shared his personal contact details with Reddy, assuring him of his availability whenever necessary.

During the 2017-2018 season, Reddy, representing the Andhra team in the Vijay Merchant Trophy, amassed over 1,200 runs, which included two triple centuries. Recognising his talent from a young age, Nitish's father made a significant decision to leave his job in order to dedicate time to nurture Nitish's cricket career. Additionally, Nitish's uncle has served as a personal advisor to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu for many years.

Among the many Reddy has to thank for hard work-induced success, Pandya will rank quite high.