Kolkata, April 2 – Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy said he was relieved to finally deliver a decisive performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, adding that his all-round efforts in the 65-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders were something he had been eager to showcase on the field.
Reddy scored 39 off 24 balls and shared an 82-run partnership with Heinrich Klaasen, while also taking 2-17 with the ball as SRH secured their first win of the competition. "This was the match-winning performance I had been waiting for. Thankfully, it came at the right time, and even my bowling has given me confidence.
"I'm just trying to stay positive. I had a lot of negative thoughts because the previous season didn't go well for me, and I couldn't bowl in that season. I have worked very hard on my bowling, and it is paying off, which makes me feel happy, and I am happy now. Thanks to the trainers and physiotherapists, my body is now fully fit," said Reddy after being awarded the Player of the Match award.
SRH had earlier posted 226/8, the highest total of the season, before bowling out KKR for 161 to secure their first win. Senior pacer Jaydev Unadkat, who finished with figures of 3-21 and currently holds the Purple Cap, also reflected on his performance. "It's still early in the season, but I'm happy to get this whenever I can. I believe experience counts. It's about not worrying about what people outside say. Whatever works on the day, works.
"The cutters were working today, so we stuck to that. We bowled into the pitch, got some good wickets, got a lucky breakthrough, and executed a run-out. So, I'm pretty happy with the bowling performance. We didn't bowl well in the first game. I think we didn't execute our plans, but today was a good overall performance," he said.
Unadkat added that communication with the batters during the innings helped the bowlers adapt to the conditions. "I think while our batting innings were going on, and obviously the feedback from our batters was that the wicket was double-paced, and the ball was sticking on the pitch. So, we always worked together, and the communication worked.
"I always try to keep two options open on top of the mark and just see what the batter is trying to do, if he's trying to move around or if he's just trying to clear his leg. Most of the time, the decision is made on top of the mark. Sometimes, you might want to mix it up at the end.
"Changing the angles, trying to keep the batsman guessing all the time. Obviously, the pitches and grounds make you feel like you're getting hit on good balls as well. So, just keep doing different things and make the batsman guess all the time. I think that's what worked for me today," he concluded.