Franklin all praise for 'strong, fast and athletic' Nitish Kumar Reddy

The SRH pace-bowling coach spoke about Reddy's improvements with the ball as well as his power-hitting after a middling IPL 2025

After a rough IPL in 2025, when he managed just 182 runs in 11 innings at a sub-120 strike rate and had his bowling workload limited due to injury, Nitish Kumar Reddy has reinvented himself as an allrounder this season. Having cranked up his pace and improved his power-hitting for IPL 2026, Reddy has provided Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) with the balance that they were missing last season. James Franklin, SRH's pace-bowling coach, hailed Reddy's all-round effort, on the eve of their Eliminator against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in New Chandigarh.

"Yeah I think last year Nitish probably took a lot of learnings from IPL 2025 and there were a few things, form he didn't start exactly how it wanted to for him," Franklin said. "Obviously there might have been a bit more expectation with having just recently been involved with India. I think he would have taken a lot of learnings from last year's IPL. So to come into this year, he's done quite a bit of work on his bowling.

"His role has obviously been slightly deeper this year as opposed to last year as well sort of more coming in with maybe six or seven overs to go at No. 5 or No. 6. He's played some unbelievable cameos for us in finishing off innings and his bowling as well. He's been utilised opening the bowling, he's been utilised in the middle depending on what we foresee being the best match-up for him to enter the game.RelatedProject NKR: Insta reels, a chance meeting, and a burst of speed

Eliminator tactics board: Archer, Punja key against SRH's batting might

Cummins' magic touch turns high-wire SRH into playoff machine

Explosive top orders in focus as RR face bogey team SRH

"So, his contribution for us this year has been immense and I think all of us in the group are really, really pleased for him particularly after a season maybe last year where it was a bit more of a struggle for him. He's really bounced back this year."

While Reddy doesn't have the high volume of runs, he has maintained a high strike rate to give SRH the finishing kick. In the previous season, he largely batted at No. 4, and even started this season at the same position. But a move down the order has since freed him up. His strike rate of 215.87 between overs 16 and 20 is the third-highest by an Indian batter, behind Tilak Varma's 256.66 and Rajat Patidar's 249.12, during this phase in the IPL.Nitish Kumar Reddy celebrates a fifty•BCCI

Franklin attributed Reddy's hitting to a combination of natural strength and power-hitting drills at the nets.

"I think if you look at Nitish, physically he's a wonderful athlete - strong, fast, dynamic, obviously being an allrounder as well he's fairly involved in games," Franklin said. "But away from the actual playing surface, he's incredibly professional with how he looks after himself, so I think he gives himself every chance to be in the best possible position to have that power and he trains it.

"I think his preparation throughout this IPL, particularly from a batting point of view has been very much geared around understanding that he's most likely to come in with four or five overs, six overs to go and probably at times have to maybe have to hit a six first ball so we've seen that throughout this season... So at the moment, sort of observing and watching him throughout this IPL, it definitely feels like he's got a real understanding of what he needs to do when he walks to the wicket."