NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad's versatile all-rounder, Nitish Kumar Reddy, shed light on his sources of inspiration ahead of his team's crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter against Mumbai Indians (MI).
Drawing motivation from the relentless drive and unwavering focus of cricketing icon Virat Kohli and football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, Nitish aspires to emulate their mindset of perpetual improvement and dissatisfaction with mediocrity.
As Sunrisers Hyderabad prepare to face off against Mumbai Indians at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, both teams find themselves in contrasting positions on the points table.
Mumbai Indians, languishing at the bottom with three wins and eight losses, are in dire need of a turnaround to salvage their campaign. Meanwhile, Sunrisers Hyderabad holds the fourth spot, boasting six wins, four losses, and 12 points, positioning them well for a playoff berth.
Nitish's stellar performances in the ongoing IPL season underscore his value to the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad. In seven matches and six innings, he has amassed an impressive tally of 219 runs at an average of 54.75 and a striking rate of 154.22, including two vital half-centuries, with his highest score being an unbeaten 76*. Additionally, his contributions with the ball, snaring three wickets, further accentuate his all-round capabilities.
Having endured limited opportunities in the previous season, Nitish has seized the moment in his second stint with the Orange Army, showcasing his prowess as a pace-bowler and batting all-rounder. As he aims to continue his stellar form and propel Sunrisers Hyderabad towards success, Nitish Kumar Reddy epitomizes the team's determination and resilience in pursuit of IPL glory.
Ahead of the game, in a video posted on IPL's official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Nitish said that he always wanted to be an all-rounder and does not want to leave behind his ability to do well as a batter and bowler considering how rare it is in India. He also said that, as an all-rounder, it is hard on his fitness to be consistently great at all three disciplines.
"I always wanted to become a good all-rounder. In India, there are very few who can bowl, bat, or field. So I guess I am blessed with that. I have that ability. I do not want to lose that ability. I have been working on my fitness. It is a lot of hard work putting through this all-round stuff. So it is really hard for the recovery part--managing batting, bowling, fielding. So I have been managing my fitness. So I guess in bowling, I need to do a little work on my bowling as well. So in the coming years or in the coming days, I will be a good all-rounder," said Nitish.
Nitish said that he has a lot of idols as all-rounders and wants to be a genuine all-rounder like England's Ben Stokes and Indian star Hardik Pandya.
"If you ask me about batting, I love AB de Villiers batting, shots and all. If you ask me about mentality and attitude, I like Virat's. My goal is to improve day by day, every day. Even at 1 per cent a day, if I improve, I will be the happiest person. So there are no personal goals, this or that. I want to just show my all-round performance."
"My idol is Cristiano Ronaldo. So I just follow him. I am a huge follower of him. We can watch Virat Bhai and Cristiano. Their mentality is like that. They are never satisfied with the things they are doing. They want to go beyond their usual levels. This pushes me a lot as well," he stressed.
Nitish also said that he does not want to be affected by his fame and become a one-season wonder. He also wants to be great at handling pressure.
"My mantra is only one thing: in India, you can see a lot of talented guys. There are so many players. But the thing is, whoever handles that pressure well, they are only going to be sustained. Virat is getting consistent runs because he can handle that pressure. So that is where you will stand tall. I want to handle that pressure well as a senior too," he concluded.
(With ANI inputs)
