India, April 24 -- Sitting in the opposing corner during last year's Boxing Day Test match, watching Nitish Kumar Reddy take down Australian pacers and spinners with equal contempt, Pat Cummins and Daniel Vettori would have been counting days before the Indian all-rounder would join hands with them for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.

Coming from the coastal town of Visakhapatnam, Reddy's inspirational story of tiding over financial strife to score his maiden Test hundred at the Melbourne Cricket Ground acquired cult status. He even received a hero's welcome after the Australian tour - an open jeep parade through the streets of his home town. To build on his new-found fandom, the broadcasters began branding IPL 2025's Telugu coverage arou...