"He’s the next big thing"- Hanuma Vihari reserves high praise for SRH all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy

SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy hit a stunning six down the ground to take his team to a six-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in an IPL 2024 clash on Friday, April 5.

Reddy remained unbeaten on 14 off eight balls as Hyderabad secured a comfortable win over Chennai at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Following the match, Veteran batter Hanuma Vihari hailed the youngster as the next big thing in Indian cricket.

Taking to the microblogging platform X, Vihari wrote:

"That was just a glimpse from Nitish. Invest in him. He’s the next big thing not just in franchise cricket. Batter who can bowl medium pace. Rare commodity!"

Vihari, who has captained Reddy for Andhra in domestic cricket, suggested that the 20-year-old is a better bowler than most seam-bowling all-rounders in the country.

"He’s a better bowler than all other except Hardik. I’ve captained him in Andhra and seen him grow. So I know a bit," Vihari added.

Nitish Kumar Reddy was roped in by the Hyderabad-based franchise for ₹20 lakh and made his IPL debut last year. The talented youngster registered scores of 33* and 55* in SRH's intra-squad practice matches ahead of the ongoing season.

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"When MS walked out, it was as loud as I've ever heard" - SRH captain Pat Cummins

At the post-match presentation, SRH skipper Pat Cummins spoke about how the crowd at the Ravij Gandhi Stadium went beserk when MS Dhoni walked out to bat.

He also mentioned how the pitch slowed a bit as the match progressed. Suggesting the Hyderabad bowlers had planned to use their cutters on the surface, Cummins said:

"Different soil. Slowed up a little bit as the game went on. Shivam was hitting it well against the spin. Thought we'll take a chance with off-cutters. The first thing is always to get the points. Wouldn't want to be bowling to him (Abhishek) and Trav Head at the top. The crowd was crazy tonight. When MS walked out, it was as loud as I've ever heard."

Hyderabad have two wins and as many losses to their name at this juncture and are currently fifth in the IPL 2024 points table.