Nitish Kumar Reddy, the Indian all-rounder, has thrown his hat into the ring for a potential spot in the T20 World Cup squad with a sensational performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT). On December 12, 2025, Reddy delivered a remarkable bowling display, claiming a hat-trick against Madhya Pradesh in the Super League stage of the tournament.

Andhra was defending a modest total of 112 when Reddy stepped up to deliver an outstanding performance. In the final three balls of his third over, he dismantled Madhya Pradesh's top order, shifting the momentum of the game. First, he bowled Harsh Gawli. Next, he had Harpreet Bhatia caught behind. Finally, he completed the hat-trick by dismissing Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar, who chopped the ball onto his stumps. This triple strike reduced MP to 14 for 3 in just three overs.

Reddy's hat-trick was the first of this season's tournament. He became the fifth bowler from Andhra to achieve this feat in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Previously, D Sivakumar, DB Prasanth Kumar, VC Stephen, and BSM Ayyappa had accomplished this milestone.

Before his hat-trick, Reddy had taken eight wickets in 37 T20 matches. He has also scored 692 runs at a strike rate of 130, including three half-centuries in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Despite Reddy's heroics, Andhra lost the match to Madhya Pradesh. MP recovered from their early setbacks, with Rishabh Chouhan and Rahul Batham forming a 73-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Chouhan scored 47 off 43 balls, while Batham remained unbeaten on 35 off 32 balls, guiding MP to a four-wicket victory with 15 balls remaining. Earlier in the match, Andhra struggled with their batting, collapsing to 7 for 2 before Reddy and KS Bharat formed a 50-run partnership. Reddy himself contributed 23 runs before being dismissed. Andhra ultimately lost their last eight wickets for 55 runs and were bowled out for 112.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, a right-handed batting all-rounder, represents Andhra in domestic cricket and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He debuted for the Indian national team in 2024 and has played in all three formats of the game. Reddy's journey began with a strong performance in the 2017-18 Vijay Merchant Trophy, where he scored 1,237 runs and received the Best Cricketer Award in the Under-16 category at the 2018 BCCI Awards. In the 2022-23 Ranji Trophy, he was Andhra's third-highest wicket-taker, with 25 wickets and 160 runs. In the 2024 IPL season, Reddy solidified his reputation by scoring 303 runs at an average of 33.67 and taking three wickets.

Reddy's impressive IPL form earned him a spot in the Indian squad for a T20I series against Zimbabwe, but he was unfortunately ruled out due to injury. He eventually made his T20I debut against Bangladesh. In his second T20I, he smashed 74 off 34 balls and took two wickets, earning the Player of the Match award.

This hat-trick comes at a crucial time for Reddy, who was recently released from India's Test squad before the series against South Africa, despite participating in the preparatory camp. With his T20 World Cup selection still uncertain and his omission from the ongoing T20I series against South Africa raising questions, this performance provides a significant boost to his confidence.