NEW DELHI: When Vikram Reddy Sudini left Hyderabad for the United States of America, he carried with him a lifetime of memories as he prepared to begin a new journey as a software engineer. There were tears of joy, but also sadness for one unfulfilled dream he left behind in India — to become a cricketer. He had played local tournaments, local leagues and junior cricket in Hyderabad, but the dream of taking his cricketing journey to a higher level remained incomplete.Vikram, however, saw that dream reborn in his son. By the time Nitish was born, the father had already checked off his own chapter as a cricketer and decided to fulfil, through his son, what he had left behind nearly two-and-a-half decades earlier.
Finally, the day arrived.As Vikram stood in the stands alongside his wife, Swathi Sudini, the tears refused to stop and neither did the applause. They watched their son remove his helmet, stretch his arms and celebrate a magnificent century at the Under-19 World Cup against a top side — New Zealand. In that moment, Nitish etched his name into the history books. The 18-year-old from Georgia became the first USA player to score a century at an Under-19 World Cup — or at any ICC World Cup event — remaining unbeaten on 117 against New Zealand.
The journey had been long for Vikram, but when the moment finally arrived, it tasted incredibly sweet. The wait, he knew, had been worth every second.“I left Hyderabad in 1999. The wait was pretty long. I never imagined this day would come, but I was adamant about making Nitish a good cricketer. I wanted him to do what I couldn’t. Nitish started playing pretty early, around 13 years of age. He began with tennis-ball cricket, and that’s where his journey started before he gradually moved into proper cricket,” Vikram told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.His son Nitish, who draws inspiration from former destructive West Indies batter Chris Gayle, cannot stop thanking his father for everything that has helped him reach where he is today.
“It’s always a great feeling. I’m really happy to score a century — it’s big for me. For my dad, it was always a dream that couldn’t be fulfilled. I’m really glad to fulfill it and hopefully take it further. He helped me, played with me and gave me everything I wanted. I couldn’t ask for more. I’m really grateful. I just want to represent the senior team — that is the only thing I am looking for,” Nitish said.“I admire Chris Gayle. His sixes are really nice. I am fond of his batting and was fond of his batting when I was a kid. I have never gotten a chance to meet him, but hopefully I will get a chance in the future,” the young cricketer said.“I always talk to myself while I bat. This helps me a lot. During the knock against New Zealand, I did the same. This helps me with concentration,” he said.PLAYING AT UPPAL HELPED NITISHVikram has ensured his son never forgets his roots in India, taking him to Hyderabad once every year for training. Those practice sessions in Uppal, along with his regular work in Atlanta where he currently lives, have played a key role in Nitish’s cricketing growth.
“In Uppal, there’s an academy named Ashwin Cricket Academy. I always practise there. There are great facilities and great turf wickets. The black and red soil pitches have helped me a lot in India. Practising on them and improving my sweep and reverse-sweep shots has helped a lot. This assisted me while playing against spinners. My coaches have worked a lot with me. I am really thankful to Vincent Vinay Kumar, Clayton Lambert, Sunny Patel, Ashwin Kumar Raju, Alexander Camilius and Atlanta Cricket Academy for all this,” Nitish said.“Most of the time, before I go out to bat, I always have a plan in my mind. And when I go to bat, I don’t really think about pressure or anything — it doesn’t get to me. I always think about how I can implement that plan and how I can do it better. So I’m always working on the plan before I go to bat,” he said.NEXT TARGET FOR NITISH – USA TEAM AND MLCMany cricketers who featured in Under-19 World Cups went on to represent their senior teams. The list includes the likes of Kane Williamson, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Brian Lara, Chris Gayle and Steve Smith, among many others.For Nitish, the journey has just begun, with the dream of representing the USA senior team firmly in his sights.“Playing for the senior team is the ultimate dream. I will keep working towards that target now. USA cricket has helped me a lot. Major League and Minor League always bring the best cricketers from all over the world, and they always support the youth. Cricket is growing massively in Atlanta and across America. Many youngsters are coming in and pursuing this sport as a career. A lot of youth are starting to play cricket, looking at these Major Leagues, Minor Leagues and all these big players as inspiration. Cricket is growing a lot in America,” the youngster said.“I was part of Atlanta Lightning in the Minor League and hopefully I will be picked for Major League Cricket too. I’m working really hard towards that goal,” Nitish signed off.