IPL 2024: ‘Nitish Reddy has become completely different batter now’, says Abdul Samad

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s lower-order batter Abdul Samad praised Nitish Kumar Reddy for his all-round efforts in the side’s two-run win over Punjab Kings in IPL 2024, adding that seam-bowling all-rounder has become a changed player in terms of batting.

On Tuesday evening, Reddy hit a 37-ball 64 to lift SRH’s innings from 64/4 to 182/9, which proved to be a game-changer. He also used his seam-bowling skills to dismiss Jitesh Sharma in the 16th over and finish with figures of 1-33 in three overs, apart from taking a superb catch in the deep to be adjudged Player of the Match.

“Last year, Nitish wasn’t batting like how he did against Punjab in this game. Last year, he was a middle-order batter and played conventional shots. He has now become a completely different batter this time around, and he did prepare really well ahead of this tournament.

“Even in our practice matches, he was doing well and made a good impact. Everyone has been impressed by him and that’s why he has been backed this season (to come good),” said Samad, who made 25 off 12 balls, in the post-match press conference.

Asked about Reddy’s promotion to number four, Samad opined, “The confidence he had from the last game (where he finished off the match against CSK), we wanted to him to carry it forward. That’s why he was promoted up the order. Everyone had confidence him that he would deliver well in Tuesday’s match.”

In defence of 182, SRH were given an almighty scare as Ashutosh Sharma (33 not out off 15 balls) and Shashank Singh (46 not out off 25 balls) took them really close to chasing down the total through their partnership of 66 runs off just 27 balls.

“We dropped two catches and they came really close (to chasing down the total), otherwise we would have won by 15 runs. Shashank and Ashutosh played really well in the final overs so it was a good contest,” added Samad.

He also felt SRH’s success with the bat is majorly happening due to blistering starts in power-play this time, though it wasn’t the case in Tuesday’s match at Mullanpur. “One of the biggest things to have happened with us is the start in power-play. For last three-four years, we couldn’t get great starts in power-play.

“But this time around, all the batters, right from opening to the middle order, are in great form. When you get the start of 70-80 runs in power-play, then it makes life easy in giving opposition the target of 220-240 runs, which is helping us in winning matches this time.”

With Nitish adding another chapter to uncapped Indian Players shining bright, Samad thinks the lesser-known players dishing out eye-catchy performances is happening due to their eagerness to prove themselves at the big stage.

“For many domestic players, this is their first season of IPL and they have got nothing to lose. They are really eager to perform well and they have a lot of hunger to put their best foot forward.”

Similar views were echoed by PBKS batter Shashank. “The only thing is the self-belief. Like the way we played in domestic cricket. Like you see Nitish here. He scored and took wickets in white-ball and red-ball both. Ashutosh, you see that he did very well in the Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare trophy. But the others who are coming in, like Angkrish (Raghuvanshi) from KKR.

“So the players who are coming in, yes may be unknown here, but they are known players in the domestic circuit. We play domestically and they are doing very well. So it is the reward for that. Whatever you do domestically, you continue doing the same here.

“That performance brings you here. Cricket is a game of self-belief. I think at this level, whatever you perform, you bring confidence and self-belief here and then you do well here. Obviously luck is a part, but then that self-confidence is always there.”