India’s young all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy delivered a fiery spell to claim a hat-trick in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 Super League match between Andhra and Madhya Pradesh in Pune on Friday. The standout performance comes days after he was dropped from India’s T20I squad for the South Africa tour, despite featuring in the Guwahati Test and travelling to Australia for the preceding T20I series.
Hat-Trick in First Over
Reddy, 22, produced the moment of the match when he dismissed Harsh Gawali, Harpreet Singh Bhatia, and MP captain Rajat Patidar off consecutive deliveries—claiming the hat-trick off the final three balls of his very first over.
His triple strike came in the third over of Madhya Pradesh’s chase, giving Andhra a crucial lift after being bowled out for 112 in 19.1 overs.
Rare Bowling Milestone
Before this game, Reddy had managed just eight wickets in 37 T20 matches, with 2/17 being his best bowling figures. The hat-trick marks a major leap in his bowling graph and has grabbed the attention of national selectors once again.
All-Round Contribution
Earlier in the innings, Reddy contributed 25 runs, adding valuable runs to an under-pressure Andhra side. With the bat, he has accumulated 692 T20 runs at a strike rate of around 130, including three half-centuries—one for India and two in the Indian Premier League.
Statement Performance After Setback
Having faced the disappointment of being excluded from the T20I squad, Reddy responded with a statement performance in India’s premier domestic T20 competition. His match-turning spell is expected to revive his prospects for a comeback to the national side.
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