India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy produced one of the most gripping bowling spells of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on December 12, delivering a stunning hat-trick against Madhya Pradesh in the Super League stage. The Andhra youngster didn’t just pick three wickets in three balls—he claimed the prized scalp of Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar, who became the third victim in that unforgettable over.

As someone who’s covered domestic cricket for more than a decade, I can tell you moments like these don’t come often, especially when a team is defending a modest total. With 112 on the board, Andhra needed inspiration, and Nitish stepped up exactly when it mattered. In the last three balls of his third over, he ripped through MP’s top order—bowling Harsh Gawli, getting Harpreet Bhatia caught behind, and forcing Patidar to chop one onto his stumps.

In just a flash, MP were reeling at 14 for 3, and Andhra suddenly had their tails up. For a brief moment, the entire momentum of the match felt different. But cricket has its own rhythm, and Andhra couldn’t quite ride the wave.

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After MP slipped to 37 for 4 with Venkatesh Iyer’s dismissal, a mature 73-run partnership between Rishabh Chouhan and Rahul Batham pulled the game away. Chouhan’s steady 47 off 43 and Batham’s composed unbeaten 35 off 32 ensured MP crossed the line with 15 balls to spare, collecting four Super League points to start their campaign.

🚨 𝗛𝗔𝗧-𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧 🚨

Moment of sheer brilliance by Nitish Kumar Reddy as he completed a superb hat-trick against Madhya Pradesh in the Super League Stage in Pune 👏#SMAT | @IDFCFIRSTBank | @NKReddy07 pic.twitter.com/3iv0wo1kFI

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) December 12, 2025

Earlier, Andhra’s batting struggles continued. Put in to bat, they stumbled to 7 for two before Nitish joined KS Bharat to rebuild with a 50-run stand. Bharat looked solid for his 39, but once he departed, the innings fell apart. Andhra lost 8 for 55, bowled out for 112 thanks to sharp spells from Shivam Shukla (4 for 23) and Tripuresh Singh (3 for 31). Nitish contributed 23 before his dismissal.

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For Nitish, this hat-trick is timely. After being released from India’s Test squad ahead of the South Africa series and missing out on the current T20Is, questions had begun to circle his immediate future. Performances like this, especially under pressure, are exactly what he needs to stay in the national conversation.

Andhra will now face Punjab next, while MP gear up to meet Jharkhand on December 14.