21-year-old Nitish Reddy recalled a fond memory from his teens when he desperately wanted to click a picture with Virat Kohli, and Anushka Sharma stepped in to fulfil his wish.
Nitish Kumar Reddy is the youngest cricketer to be playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at only 21 years old. The all-rounder from Andhra Pradesh has already carved a successful path for himself with his remarkable performance. Amid the ongoing IPL, Reddy recently shared an unforgettable moment from his teens involving none other than Bollywood actress, Anusha Sharma. The rising cricket star recalled the time he badly wanted to get a picture with Virat Kohli, and it was Anushka who stepped in to make it happen, without him even approaching her for it.
During a chat on Puma’s YouTube Channel, Nitish reminisced about attending the Naman Under-16 Awards when he was just 16 years old. He was seated near ace cricketer, Virat Kohli and wanted to make this opportunity worthwhile. Being a fan of Kohli, Nitish desperately wanted to click a picture with the cricketing legend. However, with tight security and Kohli’s star status at its peak, getting close was nearly impossible. He somehow managed to click a selfie with Kohli in the background without him noticing. Reddy shared:
“I was 16 at that time, and I wanted a proper photo with him [Virat Kohli], but I can't keep myself holding, of not taking a picture. He was sitting right behind me and at that time, I didn't have a phone as well. I got my mama's phone and he was there with me. I took his phone and I was taking selfie like this (from the background). I don't want him to notice that I am taking a selfie.”
Amid young Nitish’s silent struggles to capture the moment in his camera, what he did not know was that Anushka Sharma had noticed his desperate efforts. It wasn’t long before the actress approached the cricketer to help him have his fanboy moment by making it past the tight security around Kohli. Anushka helped Nitin get that picture. Nitin shared:
“Later on, I really wanted a good picture with him, but there were bodyguards, and it was his prime time, and no one was really getting near him. At that time, Anushka Sharma, she saw me, that I was really trying hard and not able to get it. She came up to me and said, ‘Come, I will give you a picture.’ That was a great moment. I didn't expect that she would come and give a picture.”
Fast forward to 2024: Nitish Reddy made headlines when he scored his maiden international century against Australia during the Boxing Day Test. Although Nitish has never spoken about this moment directly with Virat or Anushka, his sister, Tejaswi later told Anushka about the picture and even showed it to her.
In a wholesome moment, Anushka Sharma was seen posing with Nitish’s family, including his father, Mutyala and sister. Nitish’s father shared a photo from the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where Anushka greeted them warmly. Mutyala captioned the image as:
“A lovely moment.”
While Anushka Sharma’s gesture may have seemed small, for 16-year-old aspiring cricketer Nitish Reddy, it was a moment he would cherish forever. What are your thoughts on this heartwarming story?
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