Fans didn’t spare the 22-year-old Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy after he failed badly in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opening match against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
In the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 opener, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are hosting the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Nitish Kumar Reddy falls for 1 vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The stocks of Nitish Kumar Reddy have gone significantly down in the last few months as the all-rounder has suffered back-to-back injuries and whenever he has been on the field he hasn’t been able to perform well.
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Nitish Kumar Reddy is being groomed as the successor of Hardik Pandya in Indian cricket as he possesses the unique ability to bowl with decent pace and bat with an aggressive approach. However, so far his career has been marred by a lot of injuries.
IPL 2026 was supposed to be the year where he finally showed consistency and played match-winning knocks, but he got off to a horrible start against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Nitish Kumar Reddy walked out to bat early after the dismissal of the openers and could only play 6 balls before being cleaned up by the Kiwi pacer Jacob Duffy.
On the second ball of the 5th over, Jacob Duffy bowled a short delivery to Nitish Kumar Reddy, who tried to go across the line, swung his bat with a lack of footwork, and the top edge was taken at mid-wicket by Abhinandan Singh.
Also Read: Mumbai Indians suffer blow! Mitchell Santner and Will Jacks ruled out of IPL 2026 games
Here’s how fans reacted to Nitish Kumar Reddy’s flop show vs RCB
nitish reddy its over bro for you
— Pяїчап$нц (@g0dly_t0xin) March 28, 2026
The most overrated cricketer Nitish Kumar reddy falls cheaply again. #RCBvsSRH
— Monty (@Prashan57162392) March 28, 2026
JACOB DUFFY HUMBLED SRH ALL-ROUNDER NITISH KUMAR REDDY💀 pic.twitter.com/oGtUxCjXWZ
— Cricket Central (@CricketCentrl) March 28, 2026
Have to say= Nitish Kumar reddy is so Overrated#RCBvSRH
— Santosh Says (@SmpPhukan) March 28, 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy is a below average t20 player#rcbvsrh #ipl2026
— Munna Bhaya🇮🇳 (@Munna_4545) March 28, 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy still can’t play short balls. Consistently falling on short balls. Glaring weakness.
— Vipul 🖕🏿 (@Vipul_Espeaks) March 28, 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy is the biggest fraud player for SRH pic.twitter.com/tjvjSSpMlu
— BanterMate (@bantermate7) March 28, 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy is a cricketer?#Rcbvsrh
— sabas csk (@saba9361) March 28, 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy is the most over rated player in India right now ! #IPL2026
— Srikar (@123sri123) March 28, 2026
I am just trying to keep things simple – Ishan Kishan
Speaking at the toss ahead of the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan stated that he will keep things simple as a leader. He stated:
“It feels good. It’s our first game. We would’ve bowled first as well. It looks like a fresh wicket. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day whether you bat first or bowl first. You just need to back your instincts and play good cricket.
“(On leading SRH tonight) I am just trying to keep things simple. You don’t have to start doing something new because it’s IPL. We have made some plans and we will look to execute it well.”
Ishan Kishan added that missing Pat Cummins is a blow for them and was hopeful of others stepping up in his absence. He said:
“(On playing without Pat Cummins) Obviously Pat is a big miss for us. He is one of the best bowlers in the team. Missing him out in the team makes a big difference. I think everyone looks in good touch. It’s just about executing your plans and hopefully we will win the game if we do the right things.
“(Any new faces?) Yes, as we are batting first so Salil (Arora) is playing tonight. He has been in good touch lately. I just want him to keep things simple, watch the ball well and play his natural game.”
