NZ vs IND, 1st T20I: Nitish Kumar Reddy's Premature Celebration Backfires on a Free Hit (WATCH)

During the first T20I between India and New Zealand, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy suffered a hilarious lapse in concentration. He mistakenly celebrated a catch off a free-hit delivery, allowing the Kiwi batters to steal a quick single. The young Indian star later apologised to his teammates for the embarrassing brain-fade moment.

Team India all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy found himself in a spot of bother during the first T20I of the three-match series against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Thursday, October 22.

After being put to bat first by India skipper Shreyas Iyer, New Zealand posted a total of 225/4 in 20 overs. Glenn Phillips led the batting with an unbeaten knock of 82 off 40 balls, including 8 fours and 3 sixes, at a strike rate of 205, and formed a crucial 73-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Bevon Jacobs, who scored 31 off 16 balls.

For India, Axar Patel (1/51), Arshdeep Singh (1/45), and Mayank Yadav (1/40) picked up a wicket each while keeping the scoring in check during crucial phases of the innings.

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s Hilarious Free-Hit Blunder Goes Viral

As New Zealand piiled on the runs during their explosive innings, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s momentary lapse in concentration provided some much-needed comic relief for the touring side.

The incident took place in the 16th over of New Zealand’s innings when Bevon Jacobs skied an aerial shot toward long-on off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s delivery, and Reddy comfortably settled underneath the ball and pouched it. However, the all-rounder was oblivious to the fact that the pacer had overstepped on the previous ball, meaning it was a legal no-ball delivery.

As Nitish Kumar Reddy was about to celebrate the catch, the teammates apparently reminded him to throw the ball back and restrict the batters from taking an extra run on the free-hit. Jacobs and Glenn Phillips took advantage of the confusion to steal a single, compounding the amusement on the field.

Nitish Kumar Reddy 😭😭😭😭

#INDvsNZ https://t.co/4qXVJuqKvL

— 𝑫 (@Diiiiiiipakk) October 22, 2026

Nitish Kumar Reddy apologised to his teammates for the momentary lapse in concentration, turning toward captain Shreyas Iyer and bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar with an embarrassed, hands-folded gesture.

At the time of the blunder, New Zealand were 167/3 in 15.4 overs on their way toward a formidable total.

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s Blunder Shows Lack of Game Awareness

As a fielder, it is important to maintain absolute focus and situational awareness, especially during high-pressure phases of a white-ball match where a single misread rule can give the opposition an easy opening.

In Nitish Kumar Reddy’s case, the all-rounder was seen celebrating with a smile before realising the fact that the catch was off a free-hit delivery, quickly turning his excitement into an awkward realization. It shows how easily the high-voltage pressure of international cricket can lead to a brief lapse in basic game awareness.

Though there has been no major lapse beyond the New Zealand batters taking a quick single on the free-hit delivery, the momentary brain-fade is sure to serve as a sharp lesson for the youngster in tracking ball-by-ball match situations closely.

The all-rounder is also under scrutiny for his bowling, as he went wicketless while conceding 40 runs at an average of 10 in his spell of four overs, making it a tough outing overall for the young Indian star.