Melbourne: Nitish Reddy loves his tattoos like most 21-year-olds do, and one on his ankle is a picture of ‘Achilles' Heel'. He considers it a reminder of all the difficulties that his family has endured in the last 10 years to power his cricketing dream. For Reddy, becoming a cricketer was both a choice and a compulsion. He wanted to do something for his parents, who gave their tears and sweat to fuel his India dream. The middle-class family gambled with its finances to allow Reddy soar high. The risks taken and losses suffered will not bother them now.
"Getting into the Indian team is a proud feeling but it is only 50 percent of the dream. It will be fulfilled if I can wear that jersey and win matches for my country," an emotional Reddy had told PTI in June this year. "I want to see respect for my father in the eyes of those who once tore him to shreds for believing in my talent."
The maiden Test ton celebration in Amarendra Bahubali style was a tribute to his father Mutyala, who watched his son rescue India from the stand behind team's dug-out. The journey was not just Reddy's but also of his father's sacrifices and belief that his son was special. As a 12 year-old, Reddy overheard his relatives cursing his father for losing money in his micro-financing business after taking a voluntary retirement from service (VRS) from Hindustan Zinc. He took the decision to avoid getting transferred to Udaipur since he knew the city did not have the facilities and coaching to help his son excel as a cricketer. He invested the payout of Rs 20 lakh to start his business. However, his friends, who took loan from him never returned the amount, resulting in massive losses.
"I could hear those discussions and even as a 12-year old. I understood everything. It was a promise I made to myself that only one thing can redeem my dad's prestige — an India call-up," Reddy had told back then. It was the time when he could just afford one bat a year (one good seasoned English willow cost around 15,000 back then. It is close to 50k now for international players). "I can't tell you how happy I am," Mutyala said, struggling to express his emotions, standing outside the MCG after his son's recuse act. "Virat sir has told him to work hard," he said.
A few years back, Reddy was adjudged the best U-16 cricketer by the BCCI and he attended the Annual Awards Function in Bengaluru. The entire Indian team was in attendance and the 14-year-old was desperate for a selfie with Kohli and his wife Anushka, who were waiting near the elevator of the hotel. Kohli was in a hurry but obliged and it became a memorable moment for young Reddy. Now getting applauded for his effort by his idol is an unforgettable memory for him. Reddy's family also can't thank enough former Andhra Cricket Association's head MSK Prasad for enrolling him in its state-of-the-art academy in Visakhapatnam.
"Initially, he was placed in our U-14 academy, located far from his hometown. However, his parents encouraged him to pursue his dreams, and he steadily progressed through our academies. Nitish eventually earned a spot in India's U-19 team, showcasing his skill and determination," Prasad recently told PTI. In 2023, Reddy secured spot in India's Emerging Asia Cup team but was dropped after playing a few games. The squad had players like Yash Dhull, Nishant Sindhu, who are far away from national reckoning. There are certain events that change the course of one's career and that Emerging Asia Cup made him realise that to make a mark at the international level, he needed to think out of the box.
"I started spending more time at the nets and also hired a few side arm specialists (throwdown) available in Vizag and practised for a month. "They were all hurling the ball at 145 clicks and initially I found it hard. And then by the end of the month got adjusted. That practice went a long way when I played IPL this season where I could hit sixes," he had said. His SRH skipper Pat Cummins might be smiling quietly and thinking aloud as to why he told Reddy that he has the potential to play for India and develop into a good all-rounder.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir also deserves credit for putting his foot down for having Reddy Down Under after watching his exploits in a T20 series against Bangladesh. It was a leap of faith and Reddy is now the 'find of the series' for India.
On the Christmas Day, when everyone was fretting about India's combination, Sanjay Manjrekar had questioned, "Will Leaving Reddy out give India a better balance?"
On Saturday, one of Reddy's sponsors, a popular sports equipment and apparel brand quote tweeted Manjrekar with the cricketer's pic urged the cricket pundit to keep quiet.