New Delhi: The world was on its feet when Nitish Kumar Reddy scored his maiden Test century at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in 2024. In his debut series, the all-rounder showed great promise, giving India hopes of ending their search for a sevens bowling all-rounder in the format and providing a solid option in over-the-top cricket. After his T20I debut, his induction into the ODI setup was swift. Within 12 months, he had become a regular in the squad.However, performances did not match early potential and promise, and untimely injuries never allowed him to make a lasting breakthrough. He was part of the squad for the Test series in England but an injury ruled him out of the last two matches before the Manchester Test.Even after he regained fitness, the management could not find a way to unlock his potential. The batting numbers in the Whites remained debatable and the bowling opportunities raised many pertinent questions. He kept it in the scheme of things but the message was clear: the selectors and coaches wanted him to improve his bowling significantly. With that clear direction, the young man had his work cut out for him.
After featuring in the domestic circuit for Andhra Pradesh, ‘NKR’ turned his social media scrolling into something meaningful. He met Stephen Jones, founder of PaceLab, and feedback from his colleagues in Andhra and Hyderabad was enough for the visit.After a solid week of work, the 22-year-old returned as a better bowler, more aware of his skills, and it is reflecting in the way he bowled. IPL So far his batting is also losing confidence as he has not shied away from doing the heavy lifting for the franchise.In an exclusive chat with TimesofIndia.com, the all-rounder spoke about the need not to overdo things, mental toughness, awareness of his game and his dream of playing for India in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Quotes:Q. It has been a good start to the season and your bowling has been outstanding. What happened behind the scenes when you were preparing for the IPL season?Reddy: After the Ranji Trophy games, I got a good, seven-day break. Despite constant endurance and strength training, I was unable to reach my desired bowling speed. And that’s when I considered changing my technique. And I always felt that Steffan Jones (founder of PaceLab) would be a good guy to tackle my technique. And when I actually met him, he noticed some things in my bowling and explained them to me. What he said made a lot of sense and we are now trying to implement it. Although I haven’t completely turned it around, I’m only halfway there, I can see significant progress in this journey. And if I get more time, I will definitely develop more.Q: What changes have you made in your bowling technique?Reddy: I have worked a bit on increasing my run-up speed. My previous running style was a bit slow. I wanted to increase my pace as Stephen had told me that I am a hip-dominant bowler and that type of bowler needs to be quick at the point of delivery. So that’s what he told me, that’s why we made the run-up to the crease faster and faster.
India’s Nitish Kumar Reddy in the field during the third ODI cricket match between India and New Zealand at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. (PTI Photo/Atul Yadav)
Also we changed our loading because my upper body was slightly to the side and my right arm folded. So we tried to keep our hands as straight as possible. It’s not completely changed, it’s half done, and we’re working on it. So far, I’m very happy we’ve made it this far. I’ve changed those two things, and I still need to make a few more changes to my bowling. Since we only had seven days, we changed it. We will make more changes in the future.Question Did you approach Stephen on the advice of a cricketer?Reddy: It was my personal decision because I used to watch him on YouTube and Instagram where he talks a lot about bowling but I never got a chance to talk to him because I was always playing. I wanted to talk to him after I finished and I reached out during the break. I also asked some of the players who worked with him. Some players from Andhra (Pradesh) and Hyderabad. I asked them how this man works and they praised him a lot. So, I thought I’d give it a try and it was clearly the right decision.Q. Last IPL season with SRH was not ideal. What went wrong?Reddy: Coming off the injury, I wasn’t 100 per cent (fit) and was a bit more cautious. The thought of avoiding injury made me more cautious, and my preparation was not ideal as I came straight into the matches. It put me off and a few bad plays put me out of the game. But this year, I had a good preparation time like my first year, and by following the same routine, I found myself in a very good place to perform. So that’s the only difference.Question How did you deal with such setbacks and problems, especially after the bumper Border-Gavaskar Trophy where you announced your arrival with a century at the MCG in front of your family?Reddy: If you ask any player in the world, they will say that it is a difficult phase. Seeing the highs in your life and then seeing your lows. You will blame yourself because you are not that experienced at this point. I mean looking up and down again. I saw it for the first time. I really wanted to work hard and push myself during that period, but I got injured. So I am now focusing on the best time to prepare. I am an all-rounder and I should take care of my body as well. If you ask me, failure is just as important as success. I am grateful that I tasted failure because I learned a lot from this season, which helped me bounce back.Question How much did you realize the importance of mental strength during this period?Reddy: Mental strength is something I always look for because I have watched a lot of cricket – on television and on the ground. Great players like MS Dhoni have succeeded because of their mental strength and brains. I mean he plays everything in such a smart way. And sometimes you need to be smart enough to read the situation well. That’s it Mahi The brothers do very well and that is what has inspired me so much. Failures will keep coming in your life and if you stand with a strong mindset during these times, you can do anything.Q. How is it working? Daniel VettoriCommunicate with Pat Cummins And now playing below. He is Cushion?Reddy: It’s been good. They have good experience under their belt and as a youngster, with raw talent, you always try to experiment because that’s what helps you in the game. Ishan, Cummins and Vettori are all very experienced. Even Henrik Klaasen. These people helped me a lot.
Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Ishan Kishan, left, talks with Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Nitish Kumar Reddy during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, Monday, April 13, 2026, in Hyderabad, India. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Q. You have been doing a tough job for SRH this season: rebuilding in the middle overs, completing the innings and then bowling with the new ball and in the middle overs as well. Enjoying the challenge?Reddy: The job of an all-rounder is tough, you have to be ready wherever and whenever the team needs you. IPL is really helping me play different roles because my role is not fixed. No. 4, 5, 6… I’m playing anywhere. I am ready to do whatever the administration needs. In terms of bowling, I really wanted the challenge of using the new ball, bowling in the middle overs, and bowling in the slog overs so that I had already experienced those conditions and was ready whenever the time came.Q. T20 is an unforgiving format – if you can elaborate on your preparation for bowling. Adding variation, staying one step ahead… especially in a franchise that has now changed the way T20 batting is done.Reddy: I always feel you need some variation and the most important part is execution. Of course I practiced my slow balls, slow bouncers, yorkers and wide yorkers. But when it comes to execution, I think when you do all these things well, you will get those important wickets only when the team really needs it in that situation.
Nitish Kumar Reddy of Sunrisers Hyderabad celebrates his fifty during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Supergiants on Sunday, April 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
Question Have you found a good place to prepare? Understanding when to stop when it comes to fitness and preparation as an all-rounder’s body takes a lot of damage.Reddy: As I mentioned last season, I worked so hard that I did a lot of things that I shouldn’t do as an all-rounder. Now I am realizing it. As an all-rounder, I have to take care of my body and practice a lot. I’m not doing much anymore. So I now take more care of my body and also do a lot of preparation to make sure that I am ready for the games. And one thing I’m actually looking at is recovery. So I’ve found some things that are helping me recover, some products that I can use for my recovery, and good nutrition as well. So all these things together are helping me a lot.Q. What’s next for NKR? The ODI World Cup is coming up. Have you closed your target?Reddy: If you ask any player, being a part of the World Cup squad is a dream come true. Playing for India is a great moment in itself. But coming to the World Cup is a different matter. Everyone wants to be part of a World Cup winning team – that’s the dream. I have been working very hard on my game for this and hopefully I will get a chance to prove myself.
