Melbourne: Like any other 21-year-old, Nitish Reddy loves his tattoos which remind him of the hardships his family has endured over the last 10 years to fulfil his dream of playing cricket. For Reddy, becoming a cricketer was both a choice and a compulsion. He wanted to do something for his parents, who worked very hard to fulfil their son's dream of playing for India.

I want to see respect for my father in people's eyes

This middle-class family gave Reddy the freedom to fly high. For this, they put a big part of their income on the fulfillment of their son's dream, but now they have no regrets about it. When Reddy was selected in the Indian team this year, he told PTI, 'I want to see respect for my father in the eyes of those who mocked him for believing in my talent.'

The story of the victory of father's faith

Reddy celebrated his first century of his career in the fourth Test match against Australia here in 'Salar' style. This was his tribute to his father Mutyala who was watching his son play this great innings from behind the Indian team's dugout. This journey was not only of Reddy but also of his father's sacrifice and belief that his son is special.

Took VRS to improve son's career

When Reddy was 12, his father took voluntary retirement (VRS) from Hindustan Zinc to fulfil his dream. He also decided to leave Udaipur as he knew the city did not have the facilities and coaching to help his son excel as a cricketer.

Father got cheated in business

He invested Rs 20 lakh to start his own business of 'micro financing'. But his friends who had taken loan from him never returned it due to which he suffered a huge loss. Reddy had said at that time, 'I understood everything even at the age of 12. It was a promise I made to myself that only one thing can save my father's reputation and that is to play for India.'

One could buy one English willow bat in a year

This was a time when he could buy just one bat a year (at that time a good seasoned English willow cost around Rs 15,000. Now it is close to Rs 50,000 for international players). His father Mutyala was overcome with emotion. "I can't tell you how happy I am," he said while speaking to reporters outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground. "Virat (Kohli) sir has told him to work hard."

He was named the best cricketer of the year in Under-16

Reddy was adjudged the best under-16 cricketer by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) a few years ago and attended the annual awards function in Bengaluru. The entire Indian team was present at the function and the 14-year-old was desperate to take a selfie with Kohli and his wife Anushka, who were waiting near the hotel lift. Kohli was in a hurry but he listened to the youngster and it became a memorable moment for young Reddy. Now getting appreciated by his idol for a good performance is an unforgettable memory for him.

MSK Prasad helped in training

Reddy's family also expresses gratitude to former Andhra Cricket Association chief MSK Prasad for enrolling him in his state-of-the-art academy in Visakhapatnam. Reddy was selected in India's Emerging Asia Cup team in 2023 but was dropped after playing a few matches. This made him realize that he needed to do something different to make a mark at the international level. Reddy said, 'I started spending more time on the net and also took the services of some side arm specialists (throwdowns) and practiced for a month. This practice benefited a lot in the IPL this year and now I could hit long sixes.'

Left a mark of talent in the debut test

Reddy got the chance to play his first Test match in Perth where he displayed his ability by playing two brilliant innings and after that there was no looking back. He has now become the discovery of India's current tour of Australia.