Nitish, 21, made his international debut against Bangladesh earlier this year in October and then made his Test debut in Perth. “When he told me he was playing a Test match for India, I didn’t know how to react. If you had expected it, you would have responded to it, but neither I nor Nitish expected the call at this early stage in his career. I was in a state of shock for ten minutes,” Mutyala recalls. “I had to ask him again if he was telling the truth.”

A young Nitish Kumar Reddy is adjudged Man of the Match by former India international MSK Prasad as former India coach Rahul Dravid looks on (Special Arrangement)

“To be honest, I wasn’t serious when I was young,” Nitish told BCCI.tv. “My father gave up his job for me and there were many sacrifices behind my story. One day I saw him crying because of the financial problems we were facing and I thought: You can’t be like that. Then I got serious. I gave him my first jersey and saw the joy on his face.”

Despite rising popularity after playing for India and a hefty retention fee of Rs 6 crore from his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, the family continues to live in a rented house on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam in Madhurawada.

“Some franchises wanted Nitish to get out of SRH and offered money over 15 crores,” said Mutyala. “When I told him about the counteroffers, Nitish asked me, ‘Who gave us life, where did I get my name?’ I replied SRH. Then he said, “Why should I leave them?” If I go to the franchise that makes me more money, even if I fail once I get benched, I have to prove myself again. But at SRH they will support me even if I have some bad results. “I encouraged him to take this thought process further.”

Nitish Kumar Reddy with his family. (special agreement)

Humility comes easily to the Reddys, but the passion to overcome obstacles and the persistence in dealing with criticism are qualities that can be gleaned from the people who have witnessed this incredible father-son journey.

It all started with Nitish being a mischievous child. “At the time, I just wanted him to get busy with something, but eventually he found his calling in it,” Mutyala said. “He used to come from school at Zinc Ground around 3pm every day. No matter how hot it was, he would always come over, watch the games, then go to practice and come back to watch the games. That’s when I first noticed his commitment,” Swamy added.

“He learned batting stance and grip very quickly in a summer camp at VDCA (Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association) academy, so we gave him the opportunity,” the coach said. “I remember 2013 was his first year in districts. His performance fluctuated somewhat. His father was called and told that your son was not fit enough to play cricket and let him concentrate on his studies,” admitted Swamy.

Nitish Kumar Reddy receives a Test cap from his childhood hero Virat Kohli in Perth. (special agreement)

Not to be discouraged, Mutyala ensured that the intensity and level of Nitish’s training increased even further. “He used to train at Zinc but his father decided that was not enough and took him to the municipal stadium in Visakhapatnam, which is 15 km from Gajuwaka and Pothinamallaya Palem (both of which are sub-centres of VDCA), for a few days To cover 30 km every day so that he can compete against better bowlers. There are grass wickets on this ground, so bowlers with a bit more pace and spinners with a bit more guile used to come to practice.”

Nitish was selected for the district the following year at the age of 13. But before he could realize his potential, there was another small speedbreaker in his journey. Four days before the game against Prakasham in Ananthapuram, he had a swollen ankle. But Swamy, as VDCA coach, insisted to the selectors and his parents that he wanted Nitish in the team for the tournament and the game. There was a defeat and the coach had to put up with the criticism. “But I believed in him. I know him and he repaid my trust by scoring 99 points in the next game against East Godavari. In another game he scored another 140 points. He then had a successful season and was selected for the state U14 team for the first time this year. ”

Game awareness

Nitish opted not only for the U14 selection but also for the U16 district probables selection but asked not to take part. Swamy had to make a query to VDCA regarding this and finally got the green flag. “Despite being an opener, Nitish was sent in to bat after the fall of the seventh wicket and managed to score 36 runs and was given the ball after 72 overs in which he picked three wickets,” recalled Swamy. “If Nitish had not performed, would Swamy’s word have any value for the future of the association?” asked Mutyala. “But that’s exactly what Nitish did, he always repaid the trust of his coaches and others.”

A young Nitish Kumar Reddy during a BCCI awards ceremony. (special agreement)

When asked what made him support Nitish so much, Swamy recalled an anecdote. “How does the mindset of slipfielders normally work? They just expect crosses to come their way but when Nitish saw the batsman trying to sweep the ball away, he went over the keeper to catch the ball. He missed his mark and it was pushed to the limit, but at 14 years old he had that presence of mind and told us he was ready for the next level. After he came back from scoring 1237 runs in the Vijay Merchant Trophy at the age of 16, I along with my children got an autograph from him on a bat.”

Nitish Kumar Reddy with Kumar Swamy’s children. (special agreement)

This was also the age when Nitish started setting bigger goals, such as playing for India. And he wanted to improve his family situation. “That was the thought that changed him,” his father recalled.

Nitish was selected for a tour to Zimbabwe but got injured and was left out of the squad. That’s when he decided to get fitter. And after interactions with Hardik Pandya at NCA, he changed his diet. “He was a foodie. Whatever fish, shrimp and chicken we cooked, he ate it without limits. But now he weighs before he takes it all. For example, one day it is 200 grams of chicken and one day it is 500 grams of shrimp. After speaking to a nutritionist, he optimized a diet tailored to his needs and stuck with it,” Mutyala would say.

Nitish Kumar Reddy with his childhood coach Kumar Swamy (special arrangement)

I’m working on bowling

A cricketer who can bowl brisk medium pace and bat well is an eternal quest in Indian cricket. Vijay Varma, who also worked with Nitish when he played for the U-14 at the state level, was among the first to recognize Nitish’s bowling potential. “He was a natural athlete and could bowl fast. He was also a quick learner and had the gift of speed from a young age. We forced him to bowl for long spells. He was tired at first, but eventually we raised the fitness standards too.”

Nitish trained in Cuddupah for a few years. Varma reunited with Nitish at Vijayanagaram and continued to utilize his bowling skills. “We did video analysis of him and worked on smaller things like head position and foot movement to improve his bowling there. We used to work on bowling for four days and batting for three days.” Nitish can now regularly bowl in the mid 130,000 km and occasionally reach up to 140 km per hour. “The jump in pace didn’t happen overnight, it took about four to five years to reach that pace.”

As the tempo developed naturally, with the help of Bhuvenshawar Kumar, he added an arsenal of in and out swingers to his arsenal, how to subtly vary his wrist position and which balls to use at which phase of the game. He was selected as a net bowler for the Chennai Super Kings in 2021 before being picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the auction in IPL 2023 for Rs 20 lakhs where his career regained momentum. Today he shines on one of the biggest stages in world cricket.