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Andhra Pradesh and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy opened up on the emotional moment when he received his Indian jersey last month and how much it meant to him considering that his father risked his own career for sake of his son's cricket. Nitish was called-up to the Indian squad after a solid Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season with SRH, for the five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. Though he could not play due to a sports hernia injury, he has created an impression strong enough to be considered for future series with a 'Emerging Player of the Season' award worthy performance in this year's IPL, scoring 303 runs in 11 innings with two fifties at a strike rate of 143 and taking three wickets with his seam bowling.

The 21-year-old is now working his way back to full fitness as the new domestic season starts on September 5 with Duleep Trophy.

Reddy recalled that when he received his Indian kit, the people who often ridiculed and questioned his father for risking his career to help his son become a player, also got very emotional. In 2016, when Nitish was 13 years old, his father Mutyalu, working for Hindustan Zinc Limited in Visakhapatnam, was to be transferred to Jodhpur, but he decided to quit in order to focus on his son, who had been picked by the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) for district trials. He instead started his own business, which did not do well and everyone started to taunt him, including his extended family.

"Fame is a funny thing. After the IPL, the same people who told my father how he was foolish to risk his career for me started praising him for his foresight. I remembered they got emotional when my India kit arrived," said Nitish, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

"He quit