'He was awesome' - Pat Cummins lauds young Nitish Kumar Reddy’s heroics against Punjab Kings

Sunrisers Hyderabad survived a close call against Punjab Kings at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur in the 23rd game of the ongoing IPL (Indian Premier League) on Tuesday, April 9. Batting first against Punjab, the visitors got off to a subpar start as the top-order failed to go big. 

However, it was the knock of all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy that propelled Hyderabad to a win. Coming out to bat, Reddy scored 64 runs in 37 deliveries, helping his side to a total of 182 runs in the first innings. Furthermore, his performance with the ball impressed as well. 

In the second innings, Reddy bowled three overs, conceding 33 runs and taking one wicket in the process. The all-rounder’s performance impressed SRH skipper Pat Cummins. The Australian pacer came forward to reflect on Reddy’s showing against PBKS. 

"He was awesome, straight to the top of the order [in this game], was fantastic in the field, bowled three overs too. To get us to 180 off his bat, it was amazing,” Cummins was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. 

For me, it is a big contribution to my team and myself: Reddy

Furthermore, the man of the moment, Nitish Kumar Reddy himself, took centre stage and talked about his performance against Punjab. The 20-year-old youngster opined that he was happy to be contributing to a win, revealing that he planned to go after the spinner and stay cautious with the pacers. 

"For me, it is a big contribution for my team and myself. I have been talking to myself that I have to believe in myself and that I have to be there [for the team]. The seamers were bowling well, so I did not want to take them on. When the spinners came on, I wanted to attack them and that is what I did,” Reddy said. 

The win against Punjab was Hyderabad’s third win of the season. With six points in five matches, SRH maintained their position in the IPL points table in fifth place, whereas Punjab Kings sit in sixth place.