New Delhi: On Sunday, December 28, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s father, Mutyala, had the privilege of meeting Indian cricket legend and former captain Sunil Gavaskar, a day after his 21-year-old son scored a memorable century for Team India in the ongoing Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A heartwarming video has since gone viral, showing Mutyala, who left his government job to support his son’s cricketing journey, touching Gavaskar’s feet and sharing an emotional hug with him.
Mutyala was accompanied by his wife and daughter, both of whom also touched Sunil Gavaskar’s feet, adding to the emotional and heartfelt moment shared with the cricket legend.
Nitish’s parents were present at the iconic MCG on Saturday when he made his debut Test century for India. Batting at No. 8, Reddy, who had debuted in Perth the previous month, reached the milestone on the 171st ball he faced. He hit 10 fours and one six to bring up his maiden Test century, a remarkable achievement.
On Saturday, Nitish’s father was seen cheering passionately for him in the stands, visibly emotional as his son scored his maiden Test century. Several videos of this touching moment went viral on the internet.
Gavaskar, the first batter to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket, gave Nitish a standing ovation after he became the third-youngest Indian batter to score a Test century in Australia, on the third day of the Boxing Day Test. During a conversation with Nitish’s parents, Gavaskar also became emotional.
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s family meet the great Sunil Gavaskar @abcsport #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/hUBOghxM2e
— Ben Cameron (@BenCameron23) December 29, 2024
Nitish, who was the last Indian batter to be dismissed in the first innings of the fourth Test, scored 114 runs off 189 balls, including 11 fours and one six. His partnership with Washington Sundar (50) added 127 runs for the 8th wicket, helping India avoid the follow-on and thwarting Australia’s hopes of a big first innings lead.
Reddy, who earned his spot in the Indian team following impressive performances for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2024, has scored a total of 293 runs in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Only Australia’s Travis Head has scored more runs than him in the series. Reddy has been India’s top scorer in four of the seven innings so far.
