Nitish Kumar Reddy

His talent was first noticed in Andhra Pradesh state tournaments at under-12 and under-14 level by MSK Prasad, a former national selector, who urged the youngster to join the Andhra Cricket Academy in Kadapa. The real turning point arrived in the 2016-17 Vijay Merchant Trophy. Facing Nagaland, Reddy compiled 441 runs from only 345 deliveries, and he also collected 26 wickets with the ball. That all-round output earned him the award for Best Cricketer in the under-16 category.

Sunrisers Hyderabad signed him for his base price in the 2023 IPL. Opportunities were scarce that first year, with only two appearances, but the following campaign was a different story. In 2024 he made two half-centuries while scoring at a strike rate of 142, and chipped in with three wickets.

Those performances soon brought an international call-up in the T20I format. In his first series, against Bangladesh, he struck a fine 74, taking a heavy toll on the spinners Rishad Hossain and Mehidy Hasan and gaining a name as a batter who punishes slow bowling. Selection for the Test side followed, and he made his debut in Perth. On a lively surface he scored runs in each innings and removed Mitch Marsh, winning admirers in Australia with a bold and self-assured approach.