Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Abdul Samad has lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy’s remarkable transformation in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Reddy’s batting has evolved significantly, showcasing a more aggressive and unconventional approach compared to last year.
In Sunrisers’ two-run victory over Punjab Kings, Reddy played a pivotal role with a maiden IPL fifty (64 off 37 balls), featuring four boundaries and five sixes. Samad attributed Reddy’s success to his improved practice performances and the team’s confidence in his abilities.
“Last year, Nitish was not batting like this. He used to play conventional shots. This time, he has become completely different,” Samad said at the post-match press conference. “I think he has practiced very well. And he had a very good impact in our practice matches as well. So, everyone was very impressed with him. That’s why we are backing him.”
Samad also highlighted the importance of Reddy’s promotion to the No. 4 batting position, which allowed him to carry the momentum from his previous match against Chennai Super Kings.
“I think he has been promoted (from No. 6 to No. 4) today (on Tuesday) to carry the confidence of the last game (vs. Chennai Super Kings). And everyone had confidence in him that he will deliver today.”
Despite the close finish, Samad believes that Sunrisers could have won more comfortably had they held onto two crucial catches in the final over.
“We thought the match was a bit close because we missed two catches. Otherwise, we would have won the match by 15 runs or so.”
Samad also acknowledged the contributions of openers Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, who have consistently provided Sunrisers with solid starts.
“When you get a start of 70-80 runs in the PowerPlay, then it becomes easy for you. So, that is helping us a lot in winning the match.”
