Hyderabad: All eyes will be on defending champions India when they open their campaign in the ICC men’s T20 World Cup against the US on Saturday. However, more than half of the opposition team’s roots lie in India.The visitors, who surprised everyone in the previous edition with a Super Six finish, once again look to showcase their skills.One of the key players in the US team, Saiteja Reddy Mukkamalla, has a connection with a small village of Kamalapuri in Koilkuntla mandal in Nandyal district in Andhra Pradesh, which has just about 100 families. Saiteja emerged as the key top-order batter for his side after making his debut for the US as an 18-year-old in May 2022 in ODIs and in T20s in August, 2024.“I started watching the 2011 World Cup in the US at my home and was praying to God for the team’s win. Saiteja was watching the match with me and took a liking for the game,” reminisced his father Nageshwar Reddy, now settled in the US.He first began his training as a seven-year-old at Dream Cricket Academy in Hillsborough with coach Damion Morgan. After two and half years, when the academy was shut, he moved to Cricmax Academy in Old Bridge, New Jersey where former India cricketer Ashok Patel took him under his wings.“I formed a youth league with four teams at my own expense to provide match time for him,” he added.Saiteja’s father credits Ashok for his son’s journey.“Ashok sir played a key role. He used to take him and the team on trips to Dallas, North Carolina, England and India. He used to come to India to play in age-group tournaments in Mumbai every year. He also used to tour Guyana with coach Linden Fraser every year for five years that gave him match exposure,” reveals Nageshwar, who now works as a senior manager with Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, DC.With Saiteja showing promise and firm on pursuing it seriously, he moved to India to train at the VVS Laxman Cricket Academy in Hyderabad in the year 2018.“My son and I decided to come to Hyderabad for training, leaving my family – wife, two daughters – behind in the US. I also took a 3/4th pay cut in salary. It was my wife Prasanna Lakshmi who took care of the family when we were away. I decided to take that risk because he was very consistent,” he recalled.It was only after a year that they moved back to the US. Despite the lack of regular matches, the tours made him battle ready. He broke into the US national team at the age of 18. He is the third most run-getter in an ODI series with 874 runs and fifth youngest batter to score an ODI century at the age of 18 years 355 days. He also was part of a second-highest partnership for the fourth wicket in ODIs with 264 runs for the US.Now, Saiteja is set to make his debut in the global event for the US and his father is an elated man.“I feel very happy and proud of him. I hope he performs well and helps his team do well in the tournament. It is a great occasion for us,” he said.
