Nitish Reddy showcased why he has the full backing of the Indian team management with a sensational knock in the second T20I against Bangladesh in Delhi. After playing a composed and responsible innings in the first match, Nitish went on to deliver an explosive performance, smashing 74 runs off just 34 balls.
Fast-tracked into the Indian T20I squad after the 2024 T20 World Cup, the young all-rounder started cautiously but quickly shifted gears. Nitish Reddy took the Bangladesh bowlers to task, finding boundaries at will and keeping the scoreboard ticking. His aggressive batting, with a remarkable strike rate of 217.65, set the stage for a commanding Indian total.
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Nitish’s Reddy performance also earned him a place in an elite list, as he became the fourth-youngest Indian to score a half-century in T20Is, at just 21 years and 136 days old. Rohit Sharma still holds the record as the youngest Indian to score a T20I fifty, having done so at 20 years and 143 days.
Maiden T20I Half-Century for Nitish Kumar Reddy 🔥🔥
Watch him hit two consecutive sixes off Rishad Hossain’s bowling!
Live – https://t.co/Otw9CpO67y…… #INDvBAN@IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/jmq5Yt711n
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 9, 2024
Tilak Verma, at 20 years and 271 days, is second, while Rishabh Pant, who achieved the feat at 21 years and 38 days, sits at third. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is 21 years and 227 days, now moves to fifth place.
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Yashasvi Jaiswal, who is being rested for the ongoing T20I series, will return to action in the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. Meanwhile, India capitalized on Nitish’s blistering knock to cross the 175-run mark in under 17 overs, aiming for a total of 200. Rinku Singh also contributed with a rapid half-century, as India looked to secure a series-clinching victory, having already taken a 1-0 lead in the series.
