Nitish Kumar Reddy first fast bowler from Andhra to lead India’s pace attack

Nitish Kumar Reddy, 23, of Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam, became the first fast bowler from Andhra to lead India’s pace attack on Sunday, September 27, 2026. He opened the bowling in that match alongside Prasidh Krishna.

Until a few decades ago a fast bowler from Andhra heading the national pace unit was described as a distant dream. Even when considering undivided Andhra Pradesh, Nitish is the first player from the State to earn this distinction. The article notes that former international Abid Ali and current star Mohammed Siraj represented Hyderabad rather than Andhra. A file photograph accompanying the piece records that Nitish took three wickets against Afghanistan in the second T20 International at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 15, 2026.

In the September 27 match he conceded 18 runs in his very first over but recovered to bowl the final over of the innings. In that last over he gave away seven runs and claimed the wicket of Matthew Forde. The report states he shared the new ball for the match.

The piece says this performance reflected the confidence his captain and the Indian team management have in him. K. Parthasarathi, a former Ranji player and international umpire, and Secretary of the Visakhapatnam District Cricket Association, said: "He has proven himself as an all-rounder in almost all formats of the game, including Test matches, highlighted by his century against Australia in Australia during his debut series." Inducted primarily as a batting all-rounder, Nitish has evolved rapidly as a bowler over the years.

Nitish began his professional ascent as a net bowler for Chennai Super Kings during the 2021 IPL season and made his IPL breakthrough in 2023 for Sunrisers Hyderabad at a base price of ₹20 lakh. He won the IPL Emerging Player of the Year Award in 2024 and was later retained by SRH for ₹6 crore. Originally described as a classic medium-pacer who relied on a stump-to-stump line and late out-swing, his pace has risen into the 135 to 140 kmph range after biomechanical overhauls overseen by Steffan Jones, SRH skipper Pat Cummins and Indian fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel.

The article added: "With Hardik's place in India's playing XI for next year's World Cup looking increasingly uncertain, Nitish has been given the opportunity to make a case…" This framing links his new role to India’s selection considerations ahead of next year's World Cup.