Sunil Gavaskar was left impressed by Nitish Kumar Reddy’s performance in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s last IPL 2026 outing against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday. Reddy was adjudged as the Player of the Match, registering 39 runs off 24 balls in the first innings, and also picking up two wickets (17/2) as KKR successfully defended their target.
Defending a target of 227 runs, SRH bowled out KKR for 161 in 16 overs, courtesy of a three-wicket haul from Jaydev Unadkat. Meanwhile, Ehsan Malinga and Reddy took two-wicket hauls. For KKR, Angkrish Raghuvanshi smacked 52 off 29 balls. Initially, Heinrich Klaasen’s 35-ball 52 took SRH to 226/8 in 20 overs. Meanwhile, Travis Head (46), Abhishek Sharma (48) and Reddy (39) also got key knocks.
Sunil Gavaskar impressed with Nitish Kumar Reddy
Speaking on Star Sports, the India legend noted Reddy’s bowling improvement and noted that the SRH pacer looks ‘fully fit and stronger physically.’
“He is definitely bowling quicker now and has clearly added a bit more pace. You can see better rhythm and flow in his action as well. That often happens when a player is fully fit and stronger physically,” he said.
“He (Reddy) was praising his physical trainer and conditioning work, and that is a big positive. He’s also getting the ball to bounce a little more, which we saw in the first game as well. That’s very encouraging news for India,” he further added.
After his breakout IPL 2024 season, Reddy was a favourite for a spot in the Indian team. But a recent run of fitness issues and injuries hampered his progress. In 2025, he suffered three injuries, which also ended his England and Australia tours prematurely.
Speaking after the win against KKR, he said, “It is just me trying to be positive. There have been too many negative thoughts in my mind because the last season didn’t go my way, and I had too many injuries. I didn’t bowl last season. I know I worked on my bowling a little bit. I got a break before the IPL season. I worked really hard on my bowling. It is really paying off. When you work hard, and it shows off on the ground, it feels happy. I am happy enough.”
“I am feeling very good. Thanks to the trainers and the physios who have been taking care of me. I mean, my body is feeling fit now,” he added.
