a day ago
Telugu cricketers in Michigan showcase their talent at GTA-100
Hyderabad
The second edition of the Global Telangana Association (GTA-100) cricket championship was won by the Mirchi Masters, who defeated the Warangal Wildfires by four wickets with five balls remaining at the Canton Heritage Park in Detroit, Michigan.
The event, organised by the Global Telangana Association (Detroit Chapter), a not-for-profit Telangana Cultural organisation, featured over 120 players segmented into 10 teams based on their performance metrics.
Batting first, the Warangal Wildfires were restricted to 96 runs for 9 wickets in their allotted 100 deliveries. Sowmith Nimma led the scoring with a rapid 32 runs off just 17 balls, featuring three sixes and two boundaries. Complementary efforts came from Mohammed Omer Khan, who scored 22 runs (25 balls), and Naveen Bichal with 17 runs off 20 balls.
For the Mirchi Masters, spinner Manoj Narreddula shone with the ball, capturing 3 wickets for 32 runs in 18 balls, and securing the tournament's best bowler accolade with a total of 9 wickets across four matches. Captain Mohan Rangaraj and Suman Gaddam also made significant contributions with the ball, taking 2 for 10 and 2 for 23, respectively.
In response, the Mirchi Masters successfully chased down the target, finishing their innings at 97 for 6 in 95 balls. The standout performer was Suman Gaddam, who remained unbeaten on 28 runs off 19 deliveries. He was supported by Vinod Rathod (22 off 18 balls) and Suman Reddy Gudupaty, who scored 18 not out off 19 balls. The title win was worth a prize of $1200, while the runners-up received $800.
The event was graced by Telugu actor and producer Lohit Kumar Akavaram, co-founder of the Celebrity Cricket League (CCL), and former international volleyball player and SAF Games gold medallist, Manoj Reddy Chamakura.
GTA president, Praveen Kesireddy, was the man behind the tournament that brought together Telugus in Detroit and surrounding areas for the event.
