Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder Nitish Reddy has spoken about his experience playing against Virat Kohli in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He said that he was eager to perform in that game so that he could impress the main batsman who would then take notice of him.

Hyderabad all-rounder Nitish Reddy was one of the best young players of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The right-hander exuded class with bat and ball throughout the tournament and was instrumental in Sunrisers Hyderabad reaching the final of the tournament.

Nitish Reddy impressed everyone with his performances in the league for the Sunrisers Hyderabad as he contributed equally well with the bat and ball. His performances also led him to win the Emerging Player of the Season award as he caught the attention of many.

Nitish Reddy bailed his team out of trouble many times with his batting. The all-rounder ended up scoring 303 runs in the tournament in the 13 matches he played. He also made valuable contributions to his team with the ball and took 3 wickets in the tournament for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Nitish Reddy spoke about his admiration for Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, and said that he is a huge fan of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He revealed that after taking the Indian batsman’s autograph and a picture with him in 2023, he wanted to impress him with his batting in 2024. He also revealed how Kohli remembered his name during the post-match handshake. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he explained:

“I admire Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. I have been a huge fan of RCB for the last 10 years. In 2023, I got a chance to meet Virat Kohli. I didn’t have much to ask him; I just wanted to shake his hand and get his autograph.

“In 2024, I was hoping to play well against RCB so that Virat Kohli would take notice of my game. Even though I couldn’t bat in that match, he remembered my name during the post-match handshake. That meant a lot to me.”

“Hardik bhai sent me a message” – Nitish Reddy

Nitish Reddy also revealed that Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya also messaged him after his performances in the IPL 2024. He admitted that he was shocked after the text message and also called out Mumbai Indians captain Ben Stokes as his inspiration. He explained:

“Hardik bhai messaged me saying that the intention and energy I was putting on the field was good and to keep respecting the game. He said we would talk soon.

“I was very surprised to see his message after the IPL season, especially since he was busy with his World Cup obligations. Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes are my inspiration to be an all-rounder. I replied to him and thanked him for his message.”

Due to his sensational performance, Nitish Reddy was also called up for India’s tour of Zimbabwe. However, injury ruled him out of the squad.