Nitish Kumar Reddy marked a significant step in his injury comeback on 16 September, claiming a three-wicket haul in India's second T20I against Afghanistan to earn the Player of the Match award — a performance the 22-year-old all-rounder described as the confidence injection he had been searching for since returning to competitive cricket.

A Match-Winning Return

Reddy returned figures of 3/24, playing a central role as India restricted Afghanistan to 159/8. The hosts then chased down the target with seven wickets in hand, completing a comfortable victory. The performance was a marked contrast to an underwhelming series opener, and Reddy was candid about how much the turnaround meant to him.

'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,' Reddy said in a BCCI video on Wednesday.

Management's Trust a Key Factor

Reddy also credited the Indian team management for providing the security every returning player needs. The backing, he said, has allowed him to focus purely on his game rather than worrying about his spot in the XI.

'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.

Notably, Reddy had previously spoken about the extensive rehabilitation work undertaken at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (COE) to restore his body to full fitness — a process that proved as mentally demanding as it was physical.

The Mental Grind at the Centre of Excellence

Reddy revealed that extended stints at the COE, despite world-class facilities, can be mentally exhausting. He has leaned on conversations with close friends and family — and occasional brief trips home — to manage the psychological toll of long rehabilitation periods.

'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.

Mindset Over Setbacks

For an all-rounder carrying the dual load of batting and bowling, injury management is a recurring challenge. Reddy acknowledged that setbacks are inevitable given his workload, but insisted that mental resilience is the defining factor in how a player responds.

'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,' he said.

'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.

With the T20I series against Afghanistan continuing, Reddy's resurgence will be closely watched as India assess their all-rounder options ahead of a packed international calendar.