Cricket: USA
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PIOs in the team
2022
Solomon Kumar, Dec 16, 2022: The Times of India
From: Solomon Kumar, Dec 16, 2022: The Times of India
With Indians being the flag-bearers of cricket in the land of baseball, it came as no surprise that almost the entire 15-member squad announced by USA Cricket for the inaugural ICC Under19 Women’s T20 World Cup, to be held in South Africa next month, comprised desi girls in America.
What did surprise many, though, was that nearly half the playing line-up consisted of Telugu girls, with Geetika Kodali leading the squad and Anika Reddy Kolan the vice-captain. The other players of Telugu origin are Bhumika Bhadriraju, Laasya Priya Mullapudi and Sai Tanmayi Eyyunni while Kasturi Vedantham has been named among the five reserve players.
The sub-continent flavour of the team set the social media on fire, with one tweet reading: “USA Cricket team or India B team?” Another netizen commented: “The USA women’s cricket team is a more diverse representation of India than the Indian women’s cricket team. ”This is the first appearance by a US team in the U-19 women’s world cup, with former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who also traces his roots to India, named as the head coach. The tournament will begin on January 14.
Skipper Geetika started playing the game at the age of11, before beginning her formal training when she was 15. All-rounder ‘Geetu’ or ‘Geets’ likes cricket as it’s a team sport. Vice-captain Anika discovered her passion for the game when she was nine and the family garage soon became her Eden Gardens. Niks’ (16) most cherished moment was when she struck her first half-century on Indian soil at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket in Bengaluru.
2024: T20 World Cup
June 8, 2024: The Times of India
MONANK PATEL: Team leader of a multi-racial squad, Monank was born in Gujarat’s milky Anand town. The 31-year-old wicketkeeper-cum-opener once ran a Chinese restaurant in New Jersey. Against Pakistan, he produced a mouthwatering 50 off 38 balls that had the spectators salivating for more
NOSTHUSH KENJIGE: Born in Alabama, Kenjige grew up in hill station Ooty and played college cricket in Bengaluru. He returned to America wanting to be a biomedical engineer. But cricket beckoned. Against Pakistan, the left-arm spinner’s 3/30 was vital to the team’s cause and game’s outcome
SAURABH NETRAVALKAR: Playing U-19 WC for India in 2010, the Mumbai-born left-arm seamer scalped Joe Root and also emerged as the team’s top wicket-taker. But Netravalkar soon gave up the game for a career in software engineering in San Francisco. Like Kenjige, he also picked up the game again, even becoming US captain in 2018. On Thursday, he delivered like none other, scalping 2/18 before coming up with a fab Super Over
NITISH KUMAR: Like his Bihar politico namesake, Nitish has changed sides – he once played for Canada – but also delivered when it mattered most. His last ball boundary pushed the game to Super Over
HARMEET SINGH: In his U-19 days for India, his bowling action reminded commentators of the great Bishan Bedi. Now 31, Mumbai-born left-arm spinner Harmeet (0/34) displayed he can perform at the highest level
JASDEEP SINGH: Born in New York, he spent most of childhood in Punjab. The 31-year-old medium pacer claimed the prized scalp of Pak skipper Babar Azam. He will never forget the ball and the match
MILIND KUMAR: The 33-year-old all-rounder, who once played for Delhi’s famous Sonnet Club, took a great diving catch to put Pakistan on the backfoot in the Super Over
