Mirchi Masters prove spicy for Warangal Wildfires in the final
Mirchi Masters upset Warangal Wildfires by 4 wickets in the GTA-100 cricket final at Detroit. Manoj Narreddula was best bowler; Suman Gaddam starred with bat. The event showcased Telangana’s cricket talent abroad with strong community support.
Canton (Detroit, MI), USA: In what was a notable upset at the second edition of the GTA-100 cricket championship, the Mirchi Masters triumphed over the Warangal Wildfires by four wickets with five balls remaining at the Canton Heritage Park here on Sunday.
The event, organized 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 fancied 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 an unbeaten 18 off 19 balls. The title win was worth a prize of $1200 in cash, 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 Indian international volleyball player and SAF Games gold medallist, Manoj Reddy Chamakura.
Brief Scores:
Warangal Wildfires 96/9 in 100 balls (Sowmith Nimma 32, Naveen Bichal 17, Mohd Omer Khan 22, Manoj Narreddula 3/32, Mohan Rangaraj 2/10, Suman Gaddam 2/23) lost to Mirchi Masters 97/6 in 95 balls (Suman Gaddam 28 n.o, Vinod Rathod 22, Suman Gudupaty 18 n.o, Extras 11)
Man of the Match: Suman Reddy Gaddam
Best Bowler: Manoj Narreddula (9 wickets in 4 matches)
Best Batsman & MVP: Sowmith Nimma (155 runs in 5 innings)
