All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s maiden century in Melbourne: A tale of father’s sacrifice

The career-defining century was not just the result of his own talent but also the sacrifices made by his family, particularly his father, Mutyala Reddy, who gave up his own dreams to support his son’s career

Hyderabad: All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy became a household name for cricket fans after his stunning century in the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne against Australia. The 21-year-old cricketer bailed India out of a difficult situation on Saturday, following the early dismissals of star players.

Kumar, born in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, began his cricket career by playing for Andhra in domestic cricket. His impressive performances soon caught the eye of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which paved the way for his international debut.

However, his career-defining century was not just the result of his own talent but also the sacrifices made by his family, particularly his father, Mutyala Reddy, who gave up his own dreams to support his son’s career.

Kumar, who took up cricket at the age of five, was spotted by former Indian cricketer and selector MSK Prasad during the Under-12 and Under-14 age group matches. He was soon enrolled with the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) to train under coaches Madhusudhana Reddy and Srinivasa Rao.

Kumar recalls that his father had quit his job at Hindustan Zinc when he was around 12 or 13 years to entirely support his cricket career. He says that though his decision was questioned by his extended family, his father sternly believed in his potential and decided to resign after he was asked to move to Udaipur for work

The all-rounder, who won the ‘Emerging Player of the Year’ award in the 2024 IPL, made his international T20 debut against Bangladesh in the same year, following his Test debut in the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Perth.

After scoring his maiden international century in Melbourne, Kumar’s father, seated in the stands, broke into tears as he watched his son fulfill his dreams. As the young cricketer reached his 99th run and hit a boundary to seal his century, he knelt down, closed his eyes, and lifted his bat toward the heavens and in that moment, he not only celebrated his dream debut but also silently honoured his father’s sacrifices.