"He was a net bowler with Chennai till last year" - Aakash Chopra lauds Nitish Kumar Reddy's knock in SRH's IPL 2024 win vs PBKS

Aakash Chopra has lauded Nitish Kumar Reddy for playing a match-winning knock in the SunRisers Hyderabad's (SRH) IPL 2024 clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Reddy smashed 64 runs off 37 deliveries as SRH set PBKS a 183-run target in Mullanpur on Tuesday, April 9. Pat Cummins and company then restricted the home team to 180/6 to register a narrow two-run win.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra praised Reddy, who was acquired by SRH for ₹20 lakh at the IPL 2023 auction, for bailing his side out of trouble and taking them to a fighting total.

"The Hyderabad batting stumbled at the start. It seemed at one stage that even 150 might be difficult. However, Nitish Reddy. He was a net bowler with Chennai till last year and hit a six off the last ball to win the last match against Chennai and here also he scored runs and decent runs," he elaborated (2:15).

"The kid bats well. He has the might. In the first 15 years of this tournament, there were very few Indian finishers. That's why whoever can finish, his price at the auction goes through the roof. However, now you can see players like Rahul Tewatia, Shivam Dube, Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma. You can keep Nitish Kumar Reddy also in the same list," the former India opener added.

Chopra also appreciated Abdul Samad for playing a crucial cameo.

"Abdul Samad played a short knock but it was also important because you get a fighting total once you go past 180. The big names, whether it was Aiden Markram, Travis Head or Heinrich Klaasen, didn't score runs but Indians in the Hyderabad team came to the fore," he observed.

Samad smoked 25 runs off just 12 deliveries with the help of five fours. He and Reddy added 50 runs for the sixth wicket in just 3.2 overs when SRH were precariously placed at 100/5 after 13.1 overs.

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"Arshdeep Singh has the ability to move the ball both ways and he showed that by doing it" - Aakash Chopra lauds PBKS seamer's spell

Arshdeep Singh registered figures of 4/29 in four overs. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Reflecting on PBKS' bowling, Aakash Chopra praised Arshdeep Singh for delivering a potent spell.

"There was help for the fast bowlers. It's a decent-sized ground but it was an extremely flat pitch. However, there was help for the fast bowlers and the new ball swung. Arshdeep Singh has the ability to move the ball both ways and he showed that by doing it, and picked up four wickets," he said (1:45).

The cricketer-turned-commentator also appreciated Sam Curran, Harshal Patel and Kagiso Rabada for striking a few blows.

"Sam Curran also picked up two wickets. Harshal Patel picked up two wickets and Kagiso Rabada took one. The bowlers came to the fore," Chopra noted.

Arshdeep gave PBKS their initial breakthroughs by dismissing Travis Head and Aiden Markram. Curran then got rid of Abhishek Sharma before Harshal scalped Rahul Tripathi and Heinrich Klaasen's wickets to reduce SRH to 100/5.

However, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Abdul Samad's fighting knocks took the visitors to a competitive total, which eventually proved enough.