{"id":33013,"date":"2023-09-12T07:00:57","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T01:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.globalindian.com\/youth\/\/?post_type=story&p=33013"},"modified":"2023-09-11T13:34:21","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T08:04:21","slug":"indian-origin-cricketer-geetika-kodali-is-leading-the-usa-team-to-glory","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/old.globalindian.com\/youth\/story\/cover-story\/indian-origin-cricketer-geetika-kodali-is-leading-the-usa-team-to-glory\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian-origin cricketer, Geetika Kodali, is leading the USA team to glory"},"content":{"rendered":"

(September 12, 2023)<\/strong> In recent years, cricket has transcended its traditional stronghold in the eastern part of the world and found a burgeoning popularity in unexpected corners, notably the USA and Canada. Across America, school and college competitions are now a common sight, drawing a vibrant pool of young talent aspiring to carve a career in this exciting sport, and the United States’ entry into the International Cricket Council (ICC) not too long ago marked a significant milestone. The nation has even ventured into major international tournaments in both men’s and women’s cricket. And leading the charge for the USA U-19 Women’s Cricket team is a remarkable young Indian-origin cricketer, Geetika Kodali<\/a>, who started her international career at the age of fourteen.<\/p>\n

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“It is an excellent time to get involved with cricket in the US. The sport of cricket is currently receiving a lot of attention and funding, and both men and women have several opportunities opening up,” the young cricketer recently said in an interview, adding, \u201cI\u2019m grateful to benefit from everyone who represented the nation before me and battled for these chances to support the next generation. I hope this will encourage a lot more girls to start playing cricket, and they will also have the chance to play franchise cricket in the future. The USA women\u2019s pathway has provided the female cricketers in the country with many stages in which they could showcase their talents.”<\/p>\n

In the fast lane<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Born in California to Indian immigrants – Kodali Prashant and Madavi, who are originally from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh – Geetika spent most of her childhood years in Morrisville, North Carolina. Although she was first introduced to cricket through her family and friends, the youngster instantly fell in love with the small bat and ball her father had got her.<\/p>\n

“I started playing sports a lot when I was a child. I would switch sports every season. So, I started with soccer and then basketball and then volleyball, tennis, and swimming. Like, it just kept going,” the cricketer said, adding, “But then at 11, I came across cricket and I didn\u2019t know it was being played in America professionally. Until then, I would just play with my cousins in the backyard, like gully cricket, and if you hit a car, you get out. So that\u2019s how far my expertise went. But then I started professional training and I just fell in love with the sport, so I never switched back to any other sport.”<\/p>\n

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