From proving he belongs in front of greats to amassing greatness himself

From humble beginnings to amassing greatness

Nitish Reddy's unbeaten century at the MCG was not just about overcoming financial adversity, but also proving himself to sceptics like Brian Lara. Lara, the head coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2023 season, was not convinced about Nitish's skills and only provided him with two games. Nitish was up against Tilak Varma and Sai Sudharsan, all of whom have done well in the IPL.

Hemang Badani, a member of Lara's coaching setup, had positive things to say about Nitish. "He is a great talent and I am very happy for him. I love his hunger and dedication, a very hard working kid. He's been so comfortable the entire series with the bat. It's never easy for a player to do well in Australia, especially playing his first Test series," says Badani, who is now the head coach of Delhi Capitals.

Nitish was given his opportunities by Daniel Vettori, the new support staff of Sunrisers Hyderabad. He left an instant impression on Vettori with his shot-making skills and temperament. Nitish's performance in the IPL has been impressive, with a total of 303 runs in the season at an impressive strike rate of over 142.

Nitish was approached for the IPL auction with a lucrative Rs 11 crore buy, but he chose to remain with Sunrisers for half the fee. His decision was driven by loyalty to the franchise that gave him his break in the big league.

MSK Prasad, who has known Nitish since he was 12, took him under his wings and got him admitted in the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) residential academy. Prasad was the CEO of the ACA then and Nitish's father remains grateful to him.

Among those who persuaded Nitish to remain with Sunrisers was Vettori and Pat Cummins. Kerry O'Keeffe, an Aussie commentator, joked about Nitish's highest score, claiming it was 442.

Nitish's monumental 441 during the 2017-18 Vijay Merchant Trophy Under-16 season earned him a prestigious BCCI award. Since making his Ranji Trophy debut for Andhra in the 2019-20 season, Nitish has displayed his all-round abilities, scoring 647 runs in 18 matches and taking 53 wickets.

Hanuma Vihari informed Nitish that a call-up for the Australia series was likely. Nitish's performance at the MCG was described as a display of clarity in the thought process and would be remembered as one of the finest centuries by an Indian. Comparisons with Vihari's unbeaten heroic 2021 effort were inevitable.