Himateja, first Ranji team member from Adilabad, proves mettle in cricket

Himateja made the most of his opportunity, amassing 416 runs across five matches, including a century and three fifties, catching the eye of renowned cricketers like VVS Laxman. In his debut match, he scored 66 runs in the first innings against Gujarat. He followed it up with 78 runs in the first innings of the second match against Uttarakhand and capped his performance with a brilliant 101 runs in the fourth match against Rajasthan.

Adilabad: Kodimela Himateja, a 23-year-old from Adilabad town, dreamed of representing the Indian men’s cricket team since his childhood. He is now inching closer to realise the dream soon as he is proving his mettle in domestic cricket by showing consistency.
Incidentally, he is the first youngster to be selected for Hyderabad Ranji team from erstwhile Adilabad district. He has become a role model to youngsters of this backward region by choosing a career in an unconventional field.

Himateja grabbed the opportunity with two hands by scoring 416 runs including century and three fifties in five matches, drawing the attention of eminent cricketers such as VVS Laxman. He hit 66 runs against Gujarat in his maiden match in 1st innings. He then scored 78 runs in first innings in the second match against Uttarakhand and achieved 101 runs in the fourth match against Rajasthan.

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“I was excited to be selected for the Hyderabad Ranji team. I always wanted to be a part of the Indian men’s cricket team. I believe I got the opportunity at the right age,” Himateja told ‘Telangana Today.’ He recalled that he was picked for Hyderabad Ranji team after excelling in recent CK Nayudu Trophy and Buchi Babu tournament.

Significantly, the B. Tech Mechanical engineering final year student of a private college in Hyderabad was the all India second highest run getter in CK Naidu memorial tournament by registering 851 runs including 3 centuries in his nine innings at an average of 108 runs. He underwent a 20-days long training camp at National Cricket Academy in Gujarat after being selected for Ranji team.
The son of government teachers pair, Madhusudan and Kameshwari, scored 299 runs against Baroda, 166 runs not out against Karnataka, 138 runs against Jammu and Kashmir in the tournament. He recorded a double century in the same event held in 2023. He had performed well in the Buchi Babu tournament by scoring three fifties. He shined in Under-16 and 19 cricket tournaments by playing on behalf of Hyderabad Cricket Association.

The left-hand batter attributed his success to parents, childhood coach Jayendra Pataskar from Adilabad, coaches Indrashekhar Reddy and Anirudh of Hyderabad and Chamundeshwaranath belonging to IPL governing council behind his phenomenal success in the cricket. He recounted that he used to play cricket with his paternal uncles which helped him to venture into the field.
Himateja disclosed that his role model was ace allrounder Yuvaraj Singh. He recollected that interacting with VVS Laxman at NCA-Gujatarat for a brief period boosted his confidence. He revealed that Laxman advised him to strive hard to bag an opportunity in the men’s ODI team by continuing the current form.