SRH all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy has been exceptional with both of his skills in the IPL 2026.
Amidst a whirlwind show from the batters and a promising display of the young bowling attack, Nitish Kumar Reddy is quietly contributing in both aspects of the game to propel the Sunrisers Hyderabad to greater heights.
SRH had started off the IPL 2026 with a defeat against the reigning champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). But since then, the Orange Army have been off to a flier, winning seven out of their next 10 fixtures. The IPL 2024 runners-up, who lost more matches than they won in the previous edition, registered a stellar comeback to climb to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
But not many were able to predict it before the beginning of the IPL 2026. Fans were excited to witness how the five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), bounce back after their maiden bottom-place finish last season. On the other hand, title-holders RCB and runners-up Punjab Kings (PBKS) were also expected to carry on the momentum. In contrast, Hyderabad’s bowling unit appeared relatively weak, with a major focus once again on their star-studded batting order.
Despite a string of low scores from Travis Head, the other half of the formidable Travishek pair, Abhishek Sharma, continued to provide smashing starts to SRH’s innings. He was joined by Ishan Kishan at No.3, who had scored the second-most runs for India in their T20 World Cup 2026 title defence.
At No.4, Heinrich Klaasen redefined consistency. While the batter often anchored the innings after a few quick wickets, he also smacked bowlers all over the park to accelerate the run rate. Apart from the Australian opener, all three of SRH’s prime batters are among the top four run-scorers of the IPL 2026 (before the LSG vs RCB clash on May 7).
Following a commendable display from the top-four, Nitish’s blistering cameos have helped SRH in putting up even bigger targets on the board. Notably, five out of their seven victories so far have come while defending the totals, with the 22-year-old also playing a pivotal role with the ball.
“What is heartening to see is even though there is this impact sub option, he has kind of found a niche for himself as an allrounder. We don’t get to see too many allrounders in this tournament. I think Nitish is the only proper allrounder. Bats in the middle order, bowls more often than not at least three to four overs,” opined Deep Dasgupta in an ESPN Cricinfo show.
“If you start with five bowlers and that’s where the allrounders, somebody like Nitish, are so, so important. So you can actually get an extra batter in there knowing very well that this guy can give you four overs,” he added.
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The right-hander had endured a lean patch in IPL 2025, which was one of the reasons behind SRH’s struggles after a final-bound previous year. In 13 matches, he had managed only 182 runs at a below-par strike rate of 118.95 along with two wickets.
But his performances in the IPL 2026 have provided an all-round boost. Nitish has notched up 222 runs in nine innings, striking at a rate of 166.91, including a crucial 56 against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), to rescue SRH from 26/4. Earlier, the youngster had also shared how training under Steffan Jones’ guidance helped him increase his run-up speed. With seven key scalps in 10 matches, his bowling stats perfectly reflect the improvement.
Besides the finishing job, he has also stepped up at crucial junctures to snare breakthroughs for the side. This allowed SRH to look past experienced seamers like Jaydev Unadkat and Harshal Patel and bring in new talents like Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge into the attack.
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