All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s ton a nod to father’s sacrifices

The career-defining century was not just the result of his own talent but also the sacrifices made by his family, particularly his father, Mutyala Reddy, who gave up his own dreams to support his son's career

Hyderabad: All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy rose to become a household name after his stunning century in the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne against Australia. The 21-year-old cricketer on Saturday bailed India out of a tough situation after several star players were dismissed.

Born in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, Nitish began his cricket journey playing domestic cricket for Andhra Pradesh. The all-rounder’s talent was caught by Sunrisers Hyderabad team (SRH), who picked him up for the Indian Premier League, paving the way for his international debut.

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The all-rounder’s defining century was not a one-day wonder but a combined struggle of Nitish’s family and especially from his father Mutyala Reddy, who gave up his own dreams to support his son’s career. Starting his career at just five years old, Nitish was spotted by former Indian cricketer and selector MSK Prasad during the Under-12 and Under-14 age group matches and was made to join the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) to train under coach Madhusudhana Reddy and Srinivasa Rao.

Nitish recalls that his father quit his job at Hindustan Zinc when he was around 12 or 13 years old to entirely support his cricket career. He says that though his decision was questioned by his extended family, his father firmly believed in his potential and decided to resign after he was asked to move to Udaipur for work.

The all-rounder who won the ‘Emerging Player of the Year Award’ in the IPL 2024, made his international T20 debut against Bangladesh in the same year, following his Test debut in 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Perth.

After scoring his maiden international century in Melbourne, Nitish’s father, watching from the stands, was moved to tears as he saw his son achieve his dream. Nitish smashed a four when he was on 99 to seal his century, then knelt down with his eyes closed and lifted his bat to the heavens—a tribute to his maiden ton and a silent honour to his father’s sacrifices