Trivandrum Royals won the third edition of the Kodiyeri Balakrishnan commemorative women’s T20 cricket match, held at the Conorvayal Stadium in Thalassery. |Picture source: Special arrangement
Trivandrum Royals beat Sultans Sisters’ third edition champion Kodiyeri Balakrishnan in the final on Sunday at Conorvayal Stadium.
The Sultan sisters, first hit, scored 9 points in their 20 allotments. Divya Ganesh gained a foothold with an unbeaten 40 while Trivandrum Royals’ Niyati R. Mahesh turned the ball with a great performance on the ball and took four wickets. Trivandrum Royals chased a modest total, comfortably hitting the target, scoring 90 out of 17.4 points. Malavika Sabu scored the highest with 49 runs, while Abhinaya Martin remained unbeaten at the age of 36. Ishita Shani picked up the only wicket for the Sultans Sisters.
Niyati R. Mahesh was named a contest for his game-changing spell, while Malavika Sabu was considered an influencer. A. Akshaya won the Best Batting Award, Niyati was also named Best Powler, and CMC Najla was named Player in the Game.
The Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly presented a Shamseer for the award, saying Thalassery’s cricket legacy deserves special recognition. He said: “Cricket in Kerala began in Tarasari. Many people who play here represent India. Kerala Cricket Association should be exceptional and host the Langji Trophy competition here.”
He also paid tribute to the late Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and pointed out his key role in shaping Kerala’s politics and grassroots development. “The Conorvayal Stadium itself is the result of Kodiyeri’s vision. From the humble beginnings, the game has attracted statewide attention in its third edition,” he said.
S. Vinod Kumar, secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association, spoke at the event, recalling the early days of women’s cricket in the region. He said: “When there was no club, the women’s championship was introduced here – that was a step in innovation. Today, women’s cricket has developed and Kerala has a national championship to show for it.”
Vinodini Kodiyeri, Nilambur City President Salim and Regional Cricket Association President A. Abhimanyu also spoke at the party. Bineesh Kodiyeri, Binoy Kodiyeri, T. Krishnaraju, VB Ishaq, Adv. K. Viswan, Kerala Women’s Team Selectors Saritha and Anumol Baby, KJ Johnson Master and seniors from the District Association Office were present.
publishing – April 20, 2025 11:31 pm ist
