Downturn: It was a forgettable season for Nitish.
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

For Nitish Kumar Reddy, the 18th edition of the IPL has lent a first-hand experience of just how fickle the T20 format can be.

At the start of this year’s summer ritual, the 22-year-old must have intended to build on his breakthrough 2024 season. In Sunrisers Hyderabad’s run to last year’s final, Nitish had been the surprise package, his quickfire knocks and a few overs of medium-pace providing Pat Cummins’ men greater depth in the two core departments.

The all-round skills, in turn, helped the youngster from Andhra Pradesh get fast-tracked into India’s T20I and Test teams. And he had decent success too, notching up a maiden Test century against Australia at the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Down turn

But over the last two months in the IPL, Nitish has endured a conspicuous downturn. In 13 matches this season, the middle-order batter tallied just 182 runs at 22.75. His strike rate of 118.95 was also not up to scratch. He will have to shift focus now to the five-Test tour of England, where he is part of an 18-member squad as one of two seam-bowling all-rounders alongside Shardul Thakur.

SRH coach Daniel Vettori threw his weight behind Nitish. “It’s always tricky to play that role at No. 4 or 5. But we know that Nitish, when he’s at his best, builds his innings and can then capitalise at the end against pace and spin. So I think it is just one of those seasons that’s a little bit of a learning for him, but he’s too good a player not to bounce back,” the bespectacled Kiwi told reporters.

With the ball, too, Nitish had a negligible presence, rolling his arm over in just the last three matches. “He brought a side-strain into the tournament, and then it was just a slow, meticulous build-up. It was purely down to injury,” Vettori revealed.