The ‘Telugu brothers’ tag was trending on social media after Indian batters Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy delivered a brilliant finishing act against New Zealand in the second T20I at Christchurch on Saturday (October 24, 2026) . Their excellent display with the bat triggered a flood of memes, posts and celebratory messages from cricket fans, particularly in the Telugu-speaking States.
His 26 runs off 13 balls and an unbroken 69-run seventh-wicket partnership with Tilak Varma sealed the victory for India. The celebrations continued hours after the match, with Nitish Kumar Reddy joining the online buzz. The caption drew an enthusiastic response from fans, who flooded the comments section with jokes, praise and references to the duo’s performance. The remark added to the celebratory mood and drew further attention to the post. Nitish, who hails from Visakhapatnam, was also given the game changer of the match award. “Telugu cricketers Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy steered Team India from the brink of defeat to victory in the Christchurch T20 against New Zealand. The duo, conversing fluently in beautiful Telugu, coordinated seamlessly to finish the match. Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who showcased the prowess of Telugu spirit and the sweetness of the Telugu language on a New Zealand stage to the world, heartfelt congratulations,” Mr. Lokesh posted on social media.
He shared photographs of himself with Tilak Varma and captioned the post “Saripodha Sanivaram”, borrowing the title of the popular Telugu film. Cricketer Vijay Tripurana, who represents Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, also joined the conversation, commenting “Shiva Tandavame” on Nitish’s post.