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Nitish Reddy, the young Indian all-rounder, recently shared a hilarious yet heartwarming story about how he managed to get his hands on a pair of Virat Kohli’s shoes during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. What followed was nothing short of a dream moment for the 21-year-old—scoring his maiden Test century in Melbourne while wearing them.
The Lucky Pair of Shoes
Speaking on a YouTube podcast, Reddy recounted how he seized the opportunity when Kohli was looking to give away his shoes.
“Back in the locker room, he (Kohli) asked Sarfaraz (Khan), ‘Sarfu, tera size kya hai?’ (Sarfaraz, what’s your shoe size?), and he said, ‘Nine.’ Then he turned to me, and I thought, ‘Oh my god, I have to guess this correctly,’ because even if they weren’t my size, I really wanted his shoes. I said, ‘10,’ and he gave them to me,” Reddy revealed with a laugh.
As fate would have it, those very shoes became part of a defining moment in his young career. In the following match, Reddy walked out to bat at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and delivered a brilliant knock, scoring 114 off 189 balls, smashing 11 boundaries and a six.
A Century, Tears of Joy, and Kohli’s Praise
Reddy’s hundred was a significant breakthrough, not just for him but also for Indian cricket, as he emerged as a promising all-round option for the future. However, beyond the numbers, the moment became even more special when his father was spotted in the stands, overwhelmed with emotion.
“After I reached my century, I was looking for my father in the stands but couldn’t spot him. Later, I saw him on the big screen, crying. That image will stay with me forever,” Reddy shared.
The moment was made even sweeter when Kohli, whose shoes had unknowingly become Reddy’s good-luck charm, came up to him with words of praise.
“When Virat bhai (Kohli) walked up to me and said, ‘You played a wonderful game,’ that moment was truly special for me,” he added.
Looking Ahead: IPL and Future Goals
Since his heroics in Australia, Reddy has had to deal with injury setbacks, including a side strain that kept him out of India’s T20I series against England. Now fully recovered, he is gearing up for the upcoming IPL season, where he will represent Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
With his confidence sky-high and a growing reputation, Reddy will be a key player for SRH as they begin their IPL 2025 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 23. If his journey so far is any indication, Reddy’s story is only just beginning.
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