"Always wanted Virat Bhai to acknowledge me" - Nitish Kumar Reddy opens up on confidence-boosting interaction with Virat Kohli during IPL 2024

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has opened up about his interaction with Indian superstar Virat Kohli during IPL 2024 and how his acknowledgment boosted his confidence. Nitish enjoyed an excellent 2024 IPL season for SRH, scoring 303 runs and picking up three wickets in 13 outings.

His all-round efforts helped the franchise qualify for the final, where they lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Nitish was rewarded for his impressive IPL season with a maiden call-up to the Indian side for the upcoming five-match T20I series in Zimbabwe.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Nitish Reddy spoke about Virat Kohli being his inspiration and how interacting with him during IPL 2024 was a confidence booster.

"Growing up, I was not a perfect all-rounder; I was a pure batsman and looked up to Virat Bhai. haven't talked a lot with Virat Bhai. First year in IPL when I played against him, I didn't bat and only got the chance to bowl. Meanwhile, this year, when I was doing well, we had the RCB match. I always wanted Virat Bhai to acknowledge me and say that I am a good player as well," said Nitish.

He added:

"In that match, I didn't get the opportunity to bat as we scored 270-odd runs. After the match, when the two teams shook hands – when I was shaking his hands, he was like - 'Hi Nitish, How are you?' I was literally not expecting that he would remember my name. He probably would have seen me playing earlier in the tournament. It really boosted me a lot that Virat bhai is watching my games, and I have to be a little conscious about it and make him watch me a bit more."

Nitish was used by SRH as their floater in the batting order, helping tremendously in the team balance.

Meanwhile, Kohli recently retired from T20Is as the all-time leading scorer after India won their second T20 World Cup title. He was also the Orange Cap winner in IPL 2024 with an incredible 741 runs in 15 games.

"Was so honoured to play with him because he led a World Cup-winning team" - Nitish Reddy on Pat Cummins

Nitish Kumar Reddy also expressed his delight in playing under Pat Cummins in IPL 2024 and praised the Aussie skipper's ability to stay calm and composed.

After several down years, SRH acquired Cummins for a whopping ₹ 20.50 crore in the IPL 2024 auction and made him the franchise's captain. They were instantly rewarded with a top-two finish and a final appearance for the first time since 2018.

"I was so honoured to play with him because he led a World Cup-winning team. So, as a player, I always looked to him, like how kind of a captain he is. We rarely see fast bowlers captaining a side and tasting success. So, I always wanted to look up to him as a player and see how he manages his team as well. He is so calm and composed, even on the field, he never loses his anger and maintains the coolness in him. He thinks a lot about the tactics and plays with his mind that's what I like about him," said Nitish in the aforementioned interview.

Cummins led Australia to the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup titles last year.

Meanwhile, Nitish Reddy could be in line for his international debut when India take on Zimbabwe in the first T20I in Harare on July 6.