a A high-pressure series finale at the Holkar Stadium, Nitish Kumar Reddy The lanky maiden announced her arrival on the world stage with an ODI half-century New Zealand. With India reeling at 71/4 and chasing a mammoth 338, the young all-rounder showed nerves of steel to put together a vital partnership of 88. Virat Kohli. His innings was a perfect blend of composure and aggression, culminating in a sensational slog-sweep for a six that brought the Indore crowd to their feet. However, trying to steer India towards the finish line, he was caught for a well-crafted 57 off 53 balls, leaving Kohli to shoulder the burden again. Despite the setback in the middle of the competition, Reddy’s performance provided a glimmer of hope for what seemed like a lost cause for the Men in Blue.
Pushpa celebration: Nitish Kumar Reddy channels Allu Arjun after bounce girl ODI fifty
The highlight of the Indian chase came in the 27th over when Nitish Reddy hit his trademark ‘Pushpa’ record after reaching his maiden ODI fifty. Face off-spin Glenn PhillipsReddy went between his stumps and cleared the boundary by a significant margin, unleashing a massive six over deep mid-wicket.
As the ball disappeared into the second tier of the Holkar Stadium, the 22-year-old turned towards the dugout and killed it. Allu Arjunis famous “Thaggede Le” (I Won’t Back Down) gesture, rubbing a hand under his chin to the raucous roar of the home fans. The display of confidence was a statement of intent from the youngster, who was under immense pressure after a poor run in the previous two matches of the series. Channeling the icon of cinematography, Reddy has signaled that he is ready for the big stage, proving to be the support act that Virat Kohli was desperately looking for throughout the innings. Although his dismissal at 53 soon after was a blow to India’s hopes, the sight of his defiant celebration has already become the defining visual of the Indore decider, marking the birth of a new fan favorite in the national colours.
We present the video:
A cracker to bring up his maiden ODI fifty! Excellent performance, Nitish Kumar Reddy.#INDvNZ | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/CixSjUFkhU pic.twitter.com/hKLft9Eu0G
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 18, 2026
Indore ODI decider: Virat Kohli at war as India chase 338 after middle-order collapse
In the high-octane series finale at the Holkar Stadium, the match stands at a critical juncture with India at 179/6 after 33 overs and still needing a massive 159 runs to secure the trophy. Twin centuries after New Zealand posted an awesome 337/8. Daryl Mitchell (137) and Glenn Phillips (106)India’s chase was immediately derailed by early losses Rohit Sharma (11) and Shubman Gill (19). The crisis deepened when Shreyas Iyer (6) and KL Rahul (1) fell to back-to-back silly shots, leaving the stadium in stunned silence.
However, a challenging 88th partnership between Kohli and youngster Nitish Reddy briefly revived the chase, with Reddy celebrating his maiden ODI fifty (53) with a defiant Pushpa gesture before being caught. After recently being fired Ravindra Jadeja For 12, the entire nation’s hopes rest on the shoulders of Kohli (72 not out) who is now anchoring a lone wolf resistance against a clinical Kiwi attack. with Harshit Rana now joining the veteran at the crease, India’s unbeaten home bilateral series since 2019 hangs by a thread as the required run rate rises to nine each time.
Also WATCH: Virat Kohli’s playful gesture steals the show after Daryl Mitchell’s ODI century in Indore
