Nitish Reddy, like any other 21-year-old, loves his tattoos and has a picture of ‘Achilles’ heel’ tattooed on his ankle. He believes this is a reminder of all the hardships his family has endured over the past 10 years to make his cricket dreams come true. For Reddy, becoming a cricketer was both a choice and a compulsion. He wanted to do something for his parents who shed tears and sweat to make the Indian dream a reality. Middle-class families gambled their finances to allow Lady to soar. They will now take risks and not care about the losses they incur.
“I am proud to be in the Indian team, but it is only 50 per cent of the dream. If I can wear that jersey and win a match for my country, it will be an achievement,” an emotional Reddy told PTI in June this year.
“I want to find respect for my father in the eyes of those who once tore him to shreds for believing in my talent.” The first Test ton celebration, played in Amarendra Baahubali style, marked the team’s It was a tribute to his father Mutiyala, who watched his son rescue India from the stands behind the dugout.
This journey is not just about the lady, but also about the sacrifice of the father and his belief that his son is special.
When Reddy was 12 years old, after taking Voluntary Retirement System (VRS) from Hindustan Zinc Corporation, Reddy overheard her relatives berating her father for incurring losses in his microfinance business.
He took the decision to avoid shifting to Udaipur as he knew that the city lacked the facilities and coaching that would help his son excel as a cricketer.
He started the business by investing 2 million rupees. However, his friends who borrowed money from him did not repay the amount, resulting in large losses.
“Even at the age of 12, I heard the argument. I understood everything. I had made a promise to myself that there was only one way I could regain my father’s prestige, and that was to be called up to India,” Reddy said at the time. spoke.
At the time, he could only afford one bat a year (a well-seasoned English willow cost around 15,000 then; today, an international player costs closer to 50,000).
“Words cannot express how happy I am,” Mutiara said as she struggled to express her emotions as she stood outside the MCG after her son’s withdrawal.
“Virat sir told him to work hard,” he said.
A few years ago, Reddy was named the best U-16 cricketer by the BCCI and attended the annual awards ceremony in Bangalore.
The entire Indian team was present and the 14-year-old wanted to take a selfie with Kohli and his wife Anushka, who were waiting near the hotel elevator.
Kohli was in a hurry but did his duty and it became a memorable moment for the young lady. Having his idol praise his efforts is now an unforgettable memory for him.
Reddy’s family also cannot thank Mr. MSK Prasad, former Andhra Cricket Association president, for enrolling Reddy in his state-of-the-art academy in Visakhapatnam.
“Initially, he was placed in our U-14 academy far from his hometown. However, his parents encouraged him to pursue his dreams and he steadily progressed in our academy. Tisch eventually earned a spot in India’s U-19 team by showing his skill and determination,” Prasad told PTI recently.
In 2023, Reddy secured a spot in India’s emerging Asia Cup squad but was dropped after playing a few matches. This team had players like Yash Duru and Nishant Sindhu who were far from national acclaim.
There have been several events that have changed the direction of my career, but the Emerging Asia Cup has made me realize that I need to think outside the box to make my mark at the international level. “I started spending more time with the Nets and hired some sidearm (throwdown) specialists available in Vizag and practiced with them for a month.
“They were all bowling at 145 clicks, which they found difficult at first. And by the end of the month, they had adjusted. That practice helped a lot when they played in the IPL this season, and they were able to hit sixes. ,” he said. .
SRH captain Pat Cummins may be smiling quietly and wondering aloud why he told Reddy that he had the potential to play for India and develop into a great all-rounder.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir also deserves credit for stepping in to sign Lady Down Under after seeing his performance in the T20 series against Bangladesh.
It was a leap of faith and Reddy has now become the ‘discovery of the series’ for India.
On Christmas Day, when everyone was worried about India’s combination, Sanjay Manjrekar had wondered, “Will India’s balance improve by removing Reddy?” On Saturday, a popular sports goods and apparel brand, one of Reddy’s sponsors, tweeted at Manjrekar with a photo of the cricketer and appealed to cricket pundits to remain silent.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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