TG20 top run-getter Abhirath Reddy excitedly looks ahead to new domestic season

Abhirath Reddy first shot into limelight when he smashed an unbeaten 175 (19 fours and 3 sixes) to lead Hyderabad to a thrilling four-wicket victory against Himachal Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match last season.

The 29-year-old Hyderabad batter took the centrestage in the recently concluded inaugural TG20 tournament by leading Hyderabad E-Champions’ to the title at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The E-Champions skipper amassed 549 runs from 10 matches, including one century and four half-centuries.

“It is an awesome feeling when you are the top run-getter of the tournament and also being the captain of the victorious team. It has given me a lot of confidence. I feel happy that I could do that too with a young side. I enjoyed the pressure and the icing on the cake was when we won the title,” said Reddy.

Abhirath gives credit to Anirudh Singh

Abhirath gave credit to team coach Anirudh Singh, the former Hyderabad left-hander. “We had very little time in our preparation. But our coach ensured that we remained confident throughout the tournament. I was aware that I could be the captain once the franchise picked me up and a few other players. I led the Jai Hanuman team and we won the HCA T20 tournament.

“We had the likes of bowling all-rounder Ajay Dev Goud (highest wicket-taker), Sai Vikas Reddy, Pranav Varma, P Arvind, Anvith Reddy, Yashveer Goud (who was in the Indian under-19 team to Sri Lanka), Dev Mehta and others. There was a district player in Ganesh,” said Reddy.

Abhirath Reddy caps sensational HCA’s TG20 campaign by bagging four major awards

Abhirath was in top form and he failed in just one match but, otherwise, he was the main run-getter. “My best knock was against Ranga Reddy scoring 99 (44 balls) when we were asked to chase 195 runs. I failed in Qualifier 1 against Khammam Aces and we lost. But in the Qualifier 2, I hit 82 against Karimnagar before hitting 48 in the final against Khammam,” he said.

Talking about the final, the E-Champions skipper said it was terrific feeling playing in front of over 30,000 crowd. “It was like an IPL match, a big crowd and a surreal atmosphere. The young players were nervous but we had a good support staff that gave us confidence. For the first time, leading in front of a huge crowd, I had to use sign language to communicate with the players. It was indeed a challenging situation and it surely helped the players to boost their confidence,” he said.

TG20 good for young players

According to Reddy, the inaugural TG20 was a good thing to happen for the District players. “I’m sure all the players benefited by playing in this tournament. It was all about handling pressure and self-belief. It is a perfect platform for the young players to get ready for the IPL. I’m sure there will be many more players come into reckoning when the franchise hunts for talent in the districts. It is something that excites me. This tournament has helped Hyderabad to gear up for the national tournaments like the T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in the new season. In fact, I am looking forward to the new season,” he added.

“Hyderabad defied the odds and successfully chased a massive target of 344. I’m happy that I played a big role. On the third evening, myself and Tanmay (Agarwal) saw off a few overs and on the third day, Tanmay said if we keep our cool, we can pull off the match. Although Tanmay was out early, I had a good partnership with Rahul Radesh (66) and then with skipper Rahul Singh and Tanay Thyagarajan in Hyderabad’s exciting win. I too got into a rhythm,” Abhirath said about his maiden Ranji Trophy century.

The Hyderabad opener said he loves playing both red ball and white ball cricket. “In red-ball cricket, it is a different kind of a challenge. One has to adjust to the conditions, the ball swings more and the pitches change, the ball sometimes keeping low. It needs a lot of patience. While in white ball, there is a lot of runs to be scored in quick space of time.”

The exciting batter stays in Bengaluru where he works in CAG (Audit). “I come to Hyderabad whenever I play cricket, leagues and for the State. This year, we are eager to perform well, and everyone is very determined that we win the national title. It is one of the top priorities of every Hyderabad player. It will be a different Hyderabad side this year,” he added.

Owe it to my father, says Abhirath

Reddy owes his rise to his father Shyam Sunder Reddy, a physics lecturer. “He had frequent transfers, but he ensured that I would get practice sessions and he would bowl to me for long hours at our Ramanthapur residence. He has played a big role in my development as a player.”

The Hyderabad batter said it is good to see very good players at the top order. “There will be a healthy competition as players like Aman Rao (200 against a strong team like Bengal attack of Mohd Shami, Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar at Rajkot), Aaron George (India Under-19 player) and others. It will be a big season for us,” he said.