Andhra Cricket Association Awards Rs 25 Lakh to Nitish Kumar Reddy for MCG Ton

Talk about growing up! India feared the worst as former cricketers angrily called it "stupid" when Rishabh Pant dropped an easy catch after playing a reckless shot on Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test. But one player who had already shown his skills throughout the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, had different ideas. Nitish Kumar Reddy came in at 191/6 and left the field at stumps with India's score at 358/9. In between, he worked some real magic.

Nitish Reddy received a handsome amount of Rs 25 lakh from his state association, the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), as a reward for his brilliant maiden international century. ACA President Kesineni Sivanath was elated and said, "Today is a special and happiest moment for the Andhra Cricket Association. We are thrilled that a young player from Andhra has been selected for both the Test and international T20 formats". The Andhra Cricket Association has rewarded Nitish Kumar Reddy with ₹25 lakh as a gesture of gratitude.

25 LAKHS FOR NITISH KUMAR REDDY...!!!! 👌

Andhra Cricket Association has announced a Cash Prize of 25 Lakhs for Nitish Kumar Reddy for his hundred at MCG. [Sportstar] pic.twitter.com/6mtQRGj9Mm

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 28, 2024

After lunch, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar took charge and steadied the ship for India. Reddy played with great composure and reached his half-century with a stylish four off Mitchell Starc. Sundar too played his part by driving well to bring up his own fifty. They batted together in good form blending cautious defense with clever scoring. The duo helped India cross the 300-run mark and hopes of avoiding the follow-on were raised. Reddy and Sundar's 127-run stand turned the tide, rescuing the team from a precarious position.

As pressure mounted, especially after Sundar's dismissal to Lyon for 50, Nitish remained calm even when losing partners. He was stuck on 97 as the last few wickets fell, including Jasprit Bumrah's to Pat Cummins at slip. But when Scott Boland bowled aggressively, Nitish showed his class, reaching his maiden Test century with a brilliant drive over mid-on, thrilling the Melbourne crowd. This made the moment even more special, as his father was there in the stands.

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