SportsPosted at: Sep 16 2026 7:03PM


Every player needs confidence: Nitish Reddy on injury comeback

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Nitish Kumar Reddy marked his return from injury with a three-wicket haul against Afghanistan, earning Player of the Match honours in India’s second T20I and the confidence he felt he needed after a disappointing first outing.

Reddy returned figures of 3/24 as India restricted Afghanistan to 159/8 before chasing down the target with seven wickets in hand. The performance came after the 22-year-old had spent time at the BCCI Centre of Excellence working his way back to full fitness.

“Feels great, you know, every player needs the confidence when they’re coming from injury, and to be fair, the first game was not that great for me and in the second game I’m feeling much more happy enough because any player would be needing this confidence and I hope I continue this confidence forward,” Nitish said in a BCCI video on Wednesday.

The all-rounder also credited the team management for the trust it has shown him since he broke into the Indian side. According to Nitish, that backing has allowed him to concentrate on improving his game rather than constantly worrying about his position in the team.

“It’s always been a privilege to be a part of the Indian team and the management, obviously, they have given me enough opportunities and they have shown a lot of trust. I think that is what a player would actually need and that I’m getting from the management. I’m pretty happy with that,” he added.

The physical side of rehabilitation was only one part of the challenge. Nitish said spending long periods at the CoE can also take a mental toll, despite the facilities and training available to players.

He said staying in touch with friends and family, along with occasional trips home, helped him deal with the fatigue that came with the rehabilitation process.

“I have a couple of best friends, I talk to them every day. It’s just mentally very fatigued in COE. Obviously, it feels great to be, you know, getting those many facilities over there to train, to perform, to increase whatever ability you have. But I would say, I talk to my friends, I talk to my family and here and there I go to my home and come back for 1-2 days. That is kind of relief, but yeah, that mentally is one thing which we need to take care of,” he stated.

As an all-rounder, Nitish knows that managing his workload will remain an important part of his career. He admitted injuries can be difficult to deal with but believes a strong mindset is crucial during such setbacks.

“Injuries happen. Because maybe I’m an all-rounder, I have a lot more loads to work on. I have to keep an eye on them, I have to recover. I’m taking all the boxes but somewhere, you know, when you get this injury, you will feel bad about it and it’s all about mindset, I would say.

“You have to be really strong at those points. You don’t have to let any negative talk or any negative people coming at that time and poking at you. You just have to be mentally positive
and do the good things and God will give you at the right time,” he concluded.
UNI TIB BM
Tags: #Every player needs confidence: Nitish Reddy on injury comeback
More News

Yuvraj urges India to stick with settled ODI squad ahead of 2027 World Cup

16 Sep 2026 | 7:16 PM

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) With the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia less than a year away, former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has urged the team management to maintain consistency in selection and give a settled group of players enough game time ahead of the marquee tournament.

see more..

Rekha Gupta unveils Finisher’s Medal for Delhi Half Marathon

16 Sep 2026 | 7:07 PM

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday unveiled the Finisher’s Medal for the 21st Delhi Half Marathon, ahead of the World Athletics Gold Label Race scheduled to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on October 18.

see more..

Every player needs confidence: Nitish Reddy on injury comeback

16 Sep 2026 | 7:03 PM

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Nitish Kumar Reddy marked his return from injury with a three-wicket haul against Afghanistan, earning Player of the Match honours in India’s second T20I and the confidence he felt he needed after a disappointing first outing.

see more..

WPL 2027 to begin on January 14, auction set for October 28

16 Sep 2026 | 6:39 PM

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) The fifth edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) will be held from January 14 to February 7, 2027, the BCCI announced on Wednesday.

see more..

ICC T20I rankings: Abhishek rises to No 2 among batters, Bumrah jumps to 10th in bowling chart

16 Sep 2026 | 6:38 PM

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Abhishek Sharma has moved up to second place in the latest ICC men’s T20I batting rankings after his match-winning 82 in India's series opener against Afghanistan.

see more..