Nitish Kumar Reddy proved to be all-rounder in every sense of the term as he enlightened the Arun Jaitley Stadium with a sizzling six-hitting show in a sensational 34-ball 74 which will go down in the books as one of the big architects of India's 86-run win over Bangladesh and take an unassailable 2-0 series lead.
Besides batting, he also had a display of seam-bowling and took 2-23 to wrap up the terrific show. "We planned to play fearless cricket, and that's what helped me. I took my time, and once I saw the over where I needed to attack, that's when everything changed. I feel great in this moment."
"It's working quite well. I can bat anywhere. You can send me to open, middle-order, or even lower-order. I have batted in previous age groups too, so I was ready for everything. But this No. 4 position is working for me too," said Reddy in a conversation with JioCinema.
He was 13 off 13 balls at one stage, but hitting a six off a no-ball by Mahmudullah flicked a switch in him and he started attacking the Bangladesh bowlers with humungous shots, especially on the leg-side.
"I practiced with that bat and felt it was very good, but I believed in another bat, so I was a bit confused. Then I changed my bat and trusted it. That no-ball gave me a bit of pressure relief, and from there, I took the game on.".
"It's my individual plan. At that moment, Bangladesh had great momentum, so we thought to take some time. I felt that no-ball changed everything when I hit the six off it, and then we got charged up and everything went in the right direction. That was the over we targeted because an off-spinner was bowling to a right-hander. It was a big moment, but I was backing my power," he added.
In fact, Reddy hit his first international fifty in 27 balls, sharing a whirlwind 108-run stand with fellow half-centurion Rinku Singh. "We didn't plan anything. He was just saying, 'It's God's plan, baby!' After every six, it was 'God's plan.' We didn't really think about it too much.".
"I didn't have that skill from the very start, but I have tried hard on it and my bat swing. After my first year, I knew I needed to get better in this area. It's good to see that that hard work is paying off."
How the conversations with bowling coach Morne Morkel helped him come good with the ball was an insight from Reddy. "Yes, I am working on my bowling. I want to be more consistent because that will help me grow as a good all-rounder.".
"He is a great coach, so he gives me a lot of confidence; therefore I am very grateful to have him on the team. Plans here are very different, and they were very helpful for my development and improvement."
Reddy signed off speaking about the role his stint with Sunrisers Hyderabad played in the IPL helping him develop as an all-rounder. "At the start, I didn't expect to bat at No. 4. I was being looked at as a proper all-rounder who could bat in the lower order. But when I performed against Punjab, that's when they believed in me and gave me the chance at No. 4."
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