A memorable moment occurred during the post-match press conference after India's victory over Afghanistan in the first ODI at Dharamsala, as Indian all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy took a call from his mother while facing questions from the media.
India secured a seven-wicket win in a rain-reduced 25-overs-per-side match on Friday, with captain Shubman Gill scoring a notable half-century. Debutants Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey each took three wickets, contributing significantly to the team's success.
Nitish Kumar Reddy, who bowled a tight four-over spell claiming two wickets for 31 runs including those of centurion Rahmanullah Gurbaz and all-rounder Mohammed Nabi, received a phone call from his mother during the press conference. Interrupting his response to a journalist, he answered the call and said, “I will pick up after five minutes,” before apologising to the media for the brief disruption in what was described as a light-hearted moment.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared the clip on social media, stating: “The post-match presser can wait but a call from Mom simply cannot.”
Nitish earned his place in the squad following an impressive Indian Premier League season with Sunrisers Hyderabad, scoring 302 runs in 13 innings at an average of 30.20 and a striking strike rate of 171.59. He also took eight wickets at an average of 40.37, bowling at speeds of 130-140 kilometres per hour and claiming crucial wickets.
In the match, Afghanistan batted first and were restricted to 194 runs for 10 wickets in 24.5 overs after being reduced to 26 for three early on. Gurbaz aggressively counter-attacked with a 116-run partnership alongside captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, who scored 27 runs off 30 balls.
Debutants Brar (3/27) and Dubey (3/47) impressed with their bowling, supported by wickets from Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
During India's run chase, Rohit Sharma was dismissed after scoring 16 runs in 16 balls, ending a promising 46-run partnership with Shubman Gill. Gill remained unbeaten on 84 from 66 balls, hitting 11 fours and two sixes, while forming crucial partnerships of 70 runs with Ishan Kishan and 55 with KL Rahul to guide the team to victory in 22.5 overs.
India now leads the three-match series 1-0. Shubman Gill was awarded Player of the Match for his performance.