Dharamsala, June 14, 2026
In a wholesome gesture that quickly won the hearts of cricket fans across social media, young Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy briefly paused his post-match press conference to answer a phone call from his mother.
The incident occurred following India’s convincing seven-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the rain-curtailed first ODI at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium here.
While Reddy was addressing questions from media persons about his performance, his mobile phone, placed near the broadcast microphones, began to ring; the youngster did not hesitate to pick up the call.
“Sorry, I have to pick this,” Reddy politely told the reporters as he answered the call in his mother tongue, Telugu. “Amma nenu malli chesthanu, five minutes (Mom, I’ll call you again in five minutes),” he was heard saying over the phone before quickly resuming his interaction with the media.
The BCCI shared the video of the moment on social media, captioning it: “The post-match presser can wait but a call from Mom simply cannot.”
Netizens flooded the post with praise, a fan wrote, “The real captain of every player’s life: Mom.” Another user said, “A true pro knows priorities. Mom > mic every time.” Another fan wrote, “The world can wait… Priorities matter.”
Earlier, the 23-year-old allrounder played a pivotal role with the ball in a rain curtailed match, finishing with clinical figures of 2 for 31. His crucial breakthroughs included the prized wickets of Afghanistan’s explosive centurion Rahmanullah Gurbaz and veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, helping India restrict the visitors to 194.
In response, skipper Shubman Gill (84 not out) put in a knock of absolute authority and was at his sublime best to hit 11 fours and 2 sixes in his 66-ball knock, taking India home with 13 balls to spare.(Agency)
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