Fans also did not spare 22-year-old Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batting all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy after he failed miserably against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
In the opening match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) is hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Nitish Kumar Reddy out for 1 run against Royal Challengers Bangalore
Nitish Kumar Reddy’s stock has fallen significantly in the last few months as the all-rounder has been plagued with frequent injuries and has not been able to perform well whenever he has been on the field.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is being groomed as the successor to Hardik Pandya in Indian cricket as he has the unique ability to bowl at good pace and bat with an aggressive approach. However, his career so far has been hampered by several injuries.
It was believed that IPL 2026 would be the year where he finally showed consistency and played match-winning innings, but he had a very poor start against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
After the dismissal of the openers, Nitish Kumar Reddy came out to bat early and could play only 6 balls before being clean bowled by Kiwi fast bowler Jacob Duffy.
On the second ball of the 5th over, Jacob Duffy bowled a short ball to Nitish Kumar Reddy, who tried to go across the line, turned his bat due to lack of footwork and was top edged by Abhinandan Singh at mid-wicket.
Also read: Mumbai Indians got a shock! Mitchell Santner and Will Jacques ruled out of IPL 2026 games
This is how fans reacted to Nitish Kumar Reddy’s flop show against RCB
Nitish Reddy it’s all over for you brother
– Pяїчап$нц (@g0dly_t0xin) 28 March 2026
Most overrated cricketer Nitish Kumar Reddy once again got out cheaply. #RCBvsSRH
– Monty (@prashan57162392) 28 March 2026
Jacob Duffy humbles SRH all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy. pic.twitter.com/oGtUxCjXWZ
– Cricket Central (@CricketCentral) 28 March 2026
Have to say = Nitish Kumar Reddy is very overrated#RCBvSRH
– Santosh Says (@SmpPhukan) 28 March 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy is a below average T20 player#rcbvsrh #IPL2026
– Munna Bhaya (@Munna_4545) 28 March 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy still cannot play short balls. Constantly falling on short balls. obvious weakness.
– Vipul (@Vipul_Espeaks) 28 March 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy is the biggest rookie player of SRH pic.twitter.com/tjvjSSpMlu
– bantermate (@bantermate7) 28 March 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy is a cricketer?#Rcbvsrh
– Sabas CSK (@saba9361) 28 March 2026
Nitish Kumar Reddy is currently India’s highest rated player! #IPL2026
– Srikar (@123sri123) 28 March 2026
I’m just trying to keep things simple – Ishan Kishan
Speaking at the toss before the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad stand-in captain Ishan Kishan said that he will keep things simple as a leader. He said:
“It feels good. It’s our first game. We would have also bowled first. It feels like a fresh wicket. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter whether you bat first or bowl first. You just need to follow 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 anything new because it is the IPL. We have made some plans and we will try to execute it well.”
Ishan Kishan said that the absence of Pat Cummins is a blow for him and he hopes others will step up in his absence. He said:
“(On playing without Pat Cummins) Obviously Pat is a big miss for us. He’s one of the best bowlers in the team. It makes a big difference not having him in the team. I think everyone looks in good touch. It’s just about executing our plans and hopefully if we do the right things we win games.”
“(Any new faces?) Yes, since we are batting first Salil (Arora) is playing tonight. He has been in good touch recently. I just want him to keep things simple, see the ball well and play his natural game.”
