“He was a net bowler”: Aakash Chopra hails Nitish Kumar Reddy

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has praised SunRisers Hyderabad’s young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy for his outstanding performance in the recent IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings.

Reddy impressed with a rapid 64 off 37 balls and contributed with the ball by taking a wicket and making a crucial catch.

Discussing Reddy’s impact, Chopra highlighted on his YouTube channel, “SunRisers Hyderabad had a shaky start and a decent total seemed doubtful. Then came Nitish Reddy, who shifted the momentum. Just last year, he was a net bowler for Chennai, and now he’s making significant contributions here.”

Chopra added, “Nitish bats with power and presence. In the early years of the IPL, Indian finishers were rare, which made them highly valuable in auctions. Now, players like Rahul Tewatia, Shivam Dube, and Shashank Singh have emerged. Nitish Kumar Reddy deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as these finishers.”

Reddy’s performance marked a record in the IPL; he became the first uncapped player to score over fifty runs, take a wicket, and complete a catch in a single match. At just 20 years and 319 days old, he is also the second youngest player ever to score a half-century in the IPL, following Priyam Garg who holds the record at 19 years and 307 days.