Published: July 6, 2026 at 8:41 pm
Himateja Kodimela struck his maiden century to seal a playoff berth for Khammam Aces in the Hyderabad Cricket Association’s TG20 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday.
Khammam scored a comfortable 19-run win against Medak Falcons to confirm their place in the top four.
Himateja continued his stellar run, registering his maiden century in the tournament. His unbeaten 103 off 57 balls led him to the top of the Orange Cap standings (430 runs), overtaking Hyderabad E-Champions’ captain M Abhirath Reddy (379 runs), and enabled the Aces to post 190 for 5. This came ahead of E-Champions’ clash against Anurag Nalgonda Knights to be played later in the day.
With the ball, Vidyananda Reddy (2 for 7), Wafi Kachchhi (2 for 15), and Harshith Sai (2 for 31), bagged a brace each to restrict Falcons to 171 for 7, despite Shrunjith Reddy’s half-century (60 off 46 balls with six fours and three sixes).
Himateja Kodimela of Khammam Aces celebrates after scoring a hundred against Medak Falcons in the HCA’s TG20 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Monday. Pics: Sumeet Parmar / CREIMAS
Aces suffered an early setback in the contest as Falcons skipper Ravi Teja got the better of G Sai Krishna Reddy (0 off 3 balls) of the third ball of the innings. Wafi Kachchhi and Himateja helped gradually rebuild the innings with regular strike rotation and boundary striking before the former fell after scoring 14 off 8 balls with three fours, dismissed by Ravi Teja in the third over.
Himateja takes on Falcons
With their team in a spot of bother at 27 for 2, Mickil Jaiswal (15 off 14 balls with a four and a six) combined with Himateja for a 32-run stand in 21 balls to ensure that the Aces kept scoring at a healthy rate. Arjun Gorrapalli broke the partnership for the Falcons to peg the batting side back right after the powerplay.
District cricketers hail HCA for providing a platform like the TG20 to showcase their talent
However, this didn’t hamper the momentum for Aces as they scored 23 runs off the following over courtesy Himateja leading the charge with a 24-ball half-century. Prateek Reddy (32 off 29 balls with two fours) played second fiddle alongside him as the pair notched a 99-run stand to keep the scoreboard ticking before the rain put a halt to the proceedings.
After resumption, Madhukar Manne provided the breakthrough to dismiss Prateek in the 18th over and pegged things back for Falcons. Despite the setback, Himateja carried on his sublime form and marched to his century in 55 balls. His exceptional knock included eleven fours and four sixes.
Vidyananda Reddy Ellala of Khammam Aces celebrates the wicket of Naman Agarwal of Medak Falcons
The southpaw combined with his skipper CV Milind (14 not out of 9 balls with a six) and stitched together an unbeaten 32-run stand, scoring 27 runs in the last two overs. They powered their side to a strong finish, helping them post 190 for 5.
Medak off to a blazing start but pegged back
Falcons were off to a blazing start to their run chase with Naman Agarwal (32 off 19 balls with three fours and two sixes) and Shrunjith scoring 22 runs after a couple of overs. The latter was on the attack, smashing three fours and a couple of sixes as his side raced their way to 57 runs in the first five overs, setting the platform for the team.
Vidyananda Reddy delivered pivotal twin strikes in the final over of the powerplay to break the back of the Falcons chase. The left-arm spinner dismissed Naman and Ravi Teja in a matter of three balls to turn the game on its head. Vikram Naik (7 off 11 balls) provided some stability alongside Shrunjith, who registered his half-century in 39 balls.
Yelamanchili Harshith Sai of Khammam Aces and Ananth Prateek Reddy celebrate the wicket of Sashanth Budthi of Medak Falcons
The pair scored 25 off 28 before Ved Reddy got the prized scalp of Vikram in the 11th over. Wafi then delivered another double blow in the fifteenth over sending Shrunjith and Sai Varun Yerram back in the hut to have the Falcons reeling at 113/5.
N Surya Teja (26 off 19 balls with two fours and a six) provided a bit of respite for the Falcons with his knock. However, the series of double strikes continued with Harshith Sai bagging two wickets in the 18th over to get rid of Surya and Sashanth Budthi (0 off 2 balls).
Ishan Sharma delivered some fireworks towards the end, registering a quickfire 15-ball 34 not out with a four and four sixes. His spirited effort wasn’t enough for Falcons on the day as they fell short by 19 runs, wrapping up their season with a solitary win.
Brief scores: Khammam Aces 190 for 5 in 20 overs (Himateja Kodimela 103 not out, Prateek Reddy 32, Ravi Teja 2/48) beat Medak Falcons 171 for 7 in 20 overs (Shrunjith Reddy 60, Ishan Sharma 34 not out, N Agarwal 32, N Surya Teja 26; Vidyananda Reddy 2/7, Wafi Kachchhi 2/15, Y Harshith Sai 2/31).
Player of the Match:
