Published: February 7, 2026 at 6:34 pm
In a remarkable turn-around sparked by Mayank Gupta’s massive 183, Evergreen pulled off a 113-run victory over EMCC in the final of the HCA A Division (2-day) League championship at the Gymkhana in Secunderabad on Saturday.
Evergreen, who had conceded a 16-run first innings lead to EMCC, had made a massive 431 for seven in their second innings thanks to Mayank’s huge contribution.
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Chasing 416 for victory, EMCC fought on valiantly, but they fell short of the target by a long way. It was only a matter of time as the target was too huge for a team to chase on the final day’s play.
EMCC managed to reach 302 in 71.1 overs with Ram Repala making a topscore of 82, S Rohith Reddy scoring 75 and CP Venkatesh making 69. Left-arm spinner G Aniketh Reddy, who had made 98 in Evergreen’s second innings, finished with figures of three for 53. Karthik Reddy bagged three for 48.
Skipper Chandan Sahani’s boys thus claimed the top honours in the HCA League championship.
Evergreen Cricket Club owner Prakash Chand Jain presenting a cash award to skipper Chandan Sahani
An ecstatic Prakash Chand Jain, who owns the club, praised the efforts of the players in conquering the league championship. “I am very happy for the boys as they have consistently performed during the season. In spite of being ignored by the selectors time and again, the players have continued to perform well. Most of the boys were disappointed that their efforts were not being recognized by the selectors, and the administrators were ignoring the genuine claims of the players. However, the players did not let all this affect their performance on the field,” he said.
I am proud of the team, says Evergreen owner Prakash Chand Jain
“They came up with a superb show in the final to win the championship. I am proud of the team. I would also like to thank my coach Kanishkk Naidu for the success of the team,” Prakash said and added that Evergreen have been one of the most consistent teams in the league and have won many tournaments over the years.
Prakash also gave the players a handsome cash award for the efforts.
Coach Kanishkk Naidu with M Sai Vikas Reddy and skipper Chandan Sahani
For Kanishkk Naidu it was sweet victory as it was his first win as a coach. “It was a challenging time. But my goal was to bring out the best in each and every member of the team. It was an honor to be a part of this club, and I thank Prakash sir for giving me this opportunity to coach this wonderful bunch of players,” Kanishkk said.
No selector or HCA official at the ground on the final day
“Today was the final day of the premier tournament final at the Gymkhana. I am disappointed that nobody from the HCA, including Apex council members, and cricket representatives and selectors were present at the ground. This shows the insensitive nature of the selectors. It was also a black day for the management but not for cricket. Congratulations for both the teams for playing an exciting final,” said Ravinder Singh.
Brief scores: Evergreen 247 in 57.2 overs & 431/7 in 90 overs beat EMCC 263 in 78.4 overs & 302 in 71.1 overs (CP Venkatesh 69, S Rohith Reddy 75, Ram Repala 82; G Aniketh Reddy 3/53, Karthik Reddy 3/48).
