A young cricket prodigy from central North Carolina is making waves on the American cricket scene. Geetika Kodalia talented all-rounder with a passion for the game, he quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with. was born and raised in United States of AmericaGeetika’s journey into cricket started at a tender age thanks to her love for the sport and the camaraderie she developed among her friends and family.
From his casual playing days to his official patronage Cricket Zeal AcademyGeetika learned her skills carefully, gaining fame for her bold batting and agile bowling. With unwavering dedication and innate talent, he has represented several prominent cricket associations within the United States, demonstrating an unparalleled ability to contribute significantly to the team in various capacities.
In this exclusive interview, we delve into the complex tapestry of Geetika’s life and career, exploring her transformative journey, sources of inspiration and ambitious aspirations. Discover the driving forces behind his pursuit of excellence in the sport, his experiences representing the USA, and his visionary vision for the future of American cricket.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
Q. Would you like to share what inspired your cricket journey?
Geetics: So, as a child, I was always playing outdoors and always trying new sports. I think I started with soccer, then tennis and swimming, then basketball. So every season I switched to a new sport and my parents encouraged me to try everything. So one day I was visiting my childhood home and my friend was going to cricket practice and I didn’t know it was played professionally in America until then. So I went with it and tried the sport and just loved it. So I decided to start it and see how it was for a season. And I’ve stuck with it ever since.
Q. How did your family help you succeed in cricket and you are involved in the sport? Because at the early age of 11, it is really difficult to decide what kind of sport a child will do.
Geetics: Yes, I think one of my main motivations for taking up cricket was how much it connected me to my parents. As I feel more connected to my roots, they came from India and I was born here, but they have always enjoyed being around the cricket atmosphere and so their support has been huge. I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am now without their help, I mean it was a long haul getting me to and from practice. And we actually moved to the other side of the country. So I would have more access to cricket facilities and when I was about 15 I could balance my studies with cricket.
Q. How do you manage your studies and professional sports at the same time?
Geetics: Yes, I am currently in college University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. It’s about 30 minutes from my house, but I have my own apartment and a room on campus. So I have classes four days a week and I go home for two sessions a week with my trainer Rohan Ghosal. In addition, I have to keep up with conditioning and strength work in the gym. But balancing was certainly difficult. Like every time I move up a class or every time I have a tour, it’s always a new situation depending on which professors I have, which classes I take. I think the most important part is having a good support system. I have made some really great friends that I am very grateful for. They always support me emotionally, either by catching me at school or just giving me some time to relax. So yeah, it’s been great so far, I think there are very different experiences with cricket in high school and college and everyone in America is going to have to go through that.
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Q. Which player inspired you to take up the sport as a professional sport?
Geetics: He was the player who inspired me to play sports Ellyse Perry. When I was working for the national team for the first time, I was coming home from school and watching the game WBBL and Sydney Sixers is my favorite team and he was the captain and around him, he was a huge part of that team Alyssa Healy. So I’ve been following him ever since and actually had the opportunity to play under him Julia Price Australian cricketer. He told me that Ellyse Perry is a hard worker and has the best work ethic he has ever seen. And it definitely inspired me to be like that, I want to be like that one day. I want people to say that I balanced both cricket and studies well and I was a really well-rounded person
Q. What challenges did you face while representing USA cricket?
Geetics: with my participation USA Cricket When I get called up, it’s as a player representing the national team and I hope to be a mentor to other young girls along the way. So there were problems, I think one of the most effective problems was maybe this Under-19 World Cup in 2023 I was the captain and we didn’t win as many games as I wanted. But I felt that we were showing very positive signs in our preparation, like we had a few consecutive wins before going to the World Cup and even in the practice matches we were winning some games. But when it came to the group stage games, we didn’t make it to the next stage and it was really close games.
So it was heartening for sure, but it was a testament to seeing the difference in the challenges we face in the US playing cricket without training next to each other. We’re all like maybe seven hours, three hour flights away from each other. So we have to find local academies, local people and coaches. Then we get together as a team for camp and go on tour. So we play every day against other countries where we have the opportunity to train together. They mostly live together and know each other inside and out. And I think we do our best to do the same. But at the end of the day, we all have different lives and different challenges.
Q. What is your favorite cricket memory?
Geetics: My favorite cricket memory is when we played in the UAE USA v. UAE Down 19 back-to-back series U 19 World Cup pre and the series was tied at 2 and we played our final game ICC Academy and we had a very tight game as we needed maybe one or two more wickets to win comfortably. The team was intense, the other team was intense, and at the end of the day, to come back with a nail-biting victory is one of the best feelings in the world. Yes, it was one of those games that I will never forget and carry with me.
Q. How do you deal with setbacks, such as a low stick score or a bad day on the court?
Geetics: I think it’s important to kind of put into perspective that you’re even given the chance to fall back. I’m thankful that my problems today could have been a bad pitch or a bad day on the court, but instead it was not being able to eat food on my plate. day or something like that.
I am given the opportunity to fail and learn from my mistakes. So building a support system around me that can help me, like we’re all human, you’re going to feel bad when you fail or don’t reach your goal for a certain day, but break it down and think about your mistakes. For example, I take time to rest. I’m sure I’m somehow distracted. I hang out with my teammates or do something else at school or something like that, and then when all the emotions kind of die down and I can look at what’s going on, I can really get into it. Were there specific reasons for this outcome? How can I fix these next time so I have a better chance of success?
Here is the full video:
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This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
