Monday, 30 December 2024
Monday, 30 December 2024
Nitish Kumar Reddy arrived as a knight in shining armour for the India cricket team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground by scoring 105 runs.
He became the first Indian batter to score a century in Australia while batting at No. 8.
The young all-rounder reached the milestone with a boundary off Scott Boland, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd of nearly 80,000.
His determination brought pride to his family, especially his father, who was present to witness the feat.
As the match was going on, the internet was ablaze with joy and admiration for Nitish’s performance.
‘A proud regional hero’
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu celebrated Nitish’s roots with a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Congratulations to Visakhapatnam youth K. Nitish Kumar Reddy for scoring a century in the fourth Test match... and becoming the third youngest Indian cricketer to achieve this feat,” Naidu wrote in Telugu.
The post also shed a light on Reddy’s consistent success in Ranji matches and his journey through Under-16 cricket.
KKR hail ‘Red(dy) hot form’
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s fiery performance was praised by a post from the IPL franchise KKR that read, “𝐑𝐄𝐃(dy) HOT FORM!” along with an image of Nitish holding his bat high.
Bengal police: ‘A star is born’
The West Bengal police joined in the hailing of the new batter with a post on X. “A star is born,” it aptly said.
‘Cooked the hostile crowd’
Another cricket enthusiast shared a clip of the young cricketer celebrating the century. “Nitish Kumar Reddy hit's the tonn, here we gooo. What a playerr!! Cooked this hostile crowdd, something in you NKR,” the post said.
‘Inspiration from Virat Kohli’
Quoting Nitish’s father, a user shared, “Virat Kohli is Nitish’s idol. Virat told him that there’s no substitute for hard work.”
‘A journey of sacrifice and hard work’
Another post read, “To have your name on the MCG leaderboard at the age of 21 is a testament to a journey marked by pain, sacrifice, and relentless hard work.”
We agree..
‘Team spirit on display’
A fan narrated a touching moment, writing, “𝗗𝗦𝗣 𝗦𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗷 Sahab got the loudest cheers when he defended three balls with Nitish Reddy on 99 runs and just one wicket left. Thank you, Siraj.”
‘A historic feat for India’
Nitish’s feat added to India’s cricketing history, as shown by another user: “Youngest at the time of maiden Test century for India in Australia: Sachin Tendulkar, Rishabh Pant, and now Nitish Reddy!”
‘A father's sacrifice’
Shedding a light on Nitish’s journey, a fan shared, “8 years ago, Mutyala Reddy, an employee at Hindustan Zinc, quit his job to focus on his son's cricket. Today he saw Nitish get his maiden century at the MCG. It’s as much his dream coming true as Nitish’s!”
‘A bright future ahead’
Another admirer exclaimed, “Nitish Kumar Reddy proves he’s all fire! A maiden 50 in Test cricket with an iconic celebration to match. The future is bright!”
‘A legend in the making’
“Nitish Kumar Reddy's performance at the MCG is the stuff of legends. Here’s to many more centuries for him and Team India!” a user wrote.
‘Celebrate beyond divisions’
One fan appreciated Nitish’s talent while calling for unity: “Watching Nitish K Reddy’s century was pure joy. But seeing posts like ‘Proud Reddy’ makes me wonder: when’ll we outgrow caste tags? His bat didn’t play for labels; it played for India. Celebrate cricket, not divisions.”
