December 28th 2024.
Melbourne is home to Nitish Reddy, a 21-year-old who shares a common love with most people his age: tattoos. One of his tattoos, located on his ankle, is a depiction of 'Achilles' Heel'. To Reddy, this piece of body art serves as a constant reminder of the struggles his family has faced over the past decade in supporting his dream of becoming a professional cricketer.
For Reddy, playing cricket was not just a passion, but also a necessity. He was determined to repay his parents for the sacrifices they made in order to fuel his dream of representing India on the cricket field. Coming from a middle-class family, his parents took bold financial risks to support him, and today, those sacrifices and struggles are no longer seen as burdens, but rather the foundation of his success.
In an emotional interview with PTI in June of this year, Reddy shared, "Getting into the Indian team is a proud feeling, but it's only 50 percent of the dream. It will only be fulfilled if I can wear that jersey and win matches for my country. I want to see respect for my father in the eyes of those who once doubted his decision to invest in my talent."
Reddy's father, Mutyala, was present at the stands during his son's maiden Test century celebration, reminiscent of Amarendra Bahubali's style. This achievement was not just Reddy's triumph, but also a testament to his father's unwavering belief in his son's potential.
At the tender age of 12, Reddy overheard relatives criticizing his father for losing money in a micro-financing business after taking voluntary retirement from Hindustan Zinc. Despite the setbacks, his father's faith never wavered, paving the way for Reddy's journey to success.
His father made the decision to avoid getting transferred to Udaipur, knowing that the city did not have the necessary facilities and coaching to help his son excel in cricket. Instead, he invested the payout of Rs 20 lakh to start his own business. Unfortunately, his friends who borrowed money from him never returned it, resulting in significant losses.
"I could hear those discussions, and even as a 12-year-old, I understood everything. It was a promise I made to myself that only one thing could redeem my dad's prestige - an India call-up," Reddy had shared.
During this time, he could only afford one bat a year, but that did not stop him from pursuing his dream. His father, Mutyala, struggled to express his emotions outside the MCG after his son's heroic performance, stating, "I can't tell you how happy I am. Virat sir has told him to work hard."
A few years back, Reddy was adjudged the best U-16 cricketer by the BCCI, and he attended the Annual Awards Function in Bengaluru. The entire Indian team was present, and the 14-year-old was desperate for a selfie with his idol, Virat Kohli, and his wife, Anushka, who were waiting near the elevator of the hotel. Despite being in a hurry, Kohli obliged, making it a memorable moment for the young Reddy. Now, getting applauded for his efforts by his idol is an unforgettable memory for him.
Reddy's family is also grateful to former Andhra Cricket Association's head, MSK Prasad, for enrolling him in their state-of-the-art academy in Visakhapatnam. "Initially, he was placed in our U-14 academy, located far from his hometown. However, his parents encouraged him to pursue his dreams, and he steadily progressed through our academies. Nitish eventually earned a spot in India's U-19 team, showcasing his skill and determination," Prasad recently told PTI.
In 2023, Reddy secured a spot in India's Emerging Asia Cup team, but was dropped after playing a few games. The squad included players like Yash Dhull and Nishant Sindhu, who are currently far from national reckoning. This experience was a turning point for Reddy, making him realize that in order to make a mark at the international level, he needed to think outside the box.
"I started spending more time at the nets and even hired side arm specialists in Vizag to practice for a month. They were all hurling the ball at 145 clicks, and initially, I found it challenging. But by the end of the month, I had adjusted, and that practice went a long way when I played in the IPL this season, where I could hit sixes," he had shared.
His SRH skipper, Pat Cummins, might be smiling quietly and thinking aloud as to why he ever told Reddy that he has the potential to play for India and develop into a good all-rounder. India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, also deserves credit for insisting on having Reddy on the team after witnessing his impressive performance in a T20 series against Bangladesh.
On Christmas Day, while everyone was discussing India's combination, Sanjay Manjrekar questioned, "Will leaving Reddy out give India a better balance?" However, on Saturday, one of Reddy's sponsors, a popular sports equipment and apparel brand, quote tweeted Manjrekar with a picture of the cricketer and urged the cricket pundit to keep quiet. It's clear that Reddy's talent and hard work have earned him a place on the national team, and he is now being hailed as the 'find of the series' for India.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
