Fans hail ‘Telugu brothers’ Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy after India’s Christchurch T20I win

An amusing exchange between Indian cricketers Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, conducted entirely in Telugu, has taken social media by storm during their side's second Twenty20 International against New Zealand. The duo's lighthearted banter added an entertaining touch to the competitive match. Fans were captivated by the friendly conversation, which emphasized their camaraderie as Telugu-speaking players.

Southern India-based sports broadcaster Pallanager Peddireddy shared a video of the incident on October 24, 2026, sparking widespread interest among cricket enthusiasts. The conversation mainly revolved around Tilak reminding Nitish to call before attempting a second run, and Nitish assuring him that he could score comfortably. Tilak then encouraged Nitish to at least call "two" before running.

This conversation occurred at a crucial juncture in India's chase of 181 runs, as the team had lost six wickets for 112 runs. The two players then teamed up to form a vital partnership, steered India towards a thrilling victory by four wickets with one ball remaining. Tilak Varma ended the innings unbeaten on 51 from 26 balls, while Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed an unbeaten 26 off 13 deliveries. Their outstanding performance together earned them the Player of the Match award for Tilak.