G Force Cricket Academy records double triumph in Maxtalent Emirates Cup, winning Under-16 and Under-13 titles

By K.R. Nayar 

G Force Cricket Academy emerged as champions of the Maxtalent Emirates Cup in the Under-16 and Under-13 categories. It was an excellent display from a bunch of youngsters who literally eat, drink, and sleep cricket, working hard to sharpen their skills. Most of the star performers are those who have participated in G Force cricket tours, practicing and playing cricket for days on end while also undergoing rigorous training.

G Force Cricket Academy - champions of the Maxtalent Emirates Cup Under-16 title with Siddhartha Lahiri, Rajasthan Royals assistant coach & Royals Global Academy head

This observation is not based on hearsay but on actually witnessing the way these boys train hard during tours. I accompanied this academy to Mumbai, Rajkot, Dehradun, and England. The double triumph is the reward for the boys' determination and devotion towards the game. Each of the star performers consistently delivered outstanding performances in tour matches as well. Interestingly, G Force will be embarking on another tour to England, scheduled to be held at Ardingly College, Sussex, from July 31 to August 14.

G Force Cricket Academy - champions of the Maxtalent Emirates Cup Under-13 title with Sudhakar Shetty, founder and head coach of Maxtalent 

Maxtalent Global Sports, another cricket academy that encourages talent and grooms young players while also providing a stage for school and college cricket, organized the Emirates Cup. The tournament witnessed a record turnout of 14 teams participating in exciting league and knockout matches.

Gopal Jasapara - Head Coach of   G Force Academy with the winners' trophies 

In the Under-16 final, G Force won the toss and elected to bat. The opening pair of G Force, Shane Saldanha (37 off 26 balls) and Saif Ali Khan (79 off 65 balls), provided a smooth start against the Maxtalent bowlers. When the bowlers failed to make an impression, Maxtalent's fielders lifted the spirits of their team through exceptional athleticism, taking stunning catches, and effecting crucial run-outs. As a result, G Force was restricted to 203 for 6 in 25 overs. Cleon Sequeirea was the standout bowler, bagging 2 for 28.

Saif Ali Khan, receives the Player of the Final award from Gaurav Uppal of Vision Cricket Ground  

Chasing the impressive target, Maxtalent's batsmen crumbled under the pressure from the start. However, top-order batsman Cleon Sequeirea sparkled with the bat, scoring 64 off just 56 balls. The G Force bowlers maintained a good line and length, picking wickets at regular intervals to slow down Maxtalent's run flow. This mounted pressure on the Maxtalent batsmen, who faced a high run rate during the final overs. 

Shane Saldanha receives the best batsman award from Siddhartha Lahiri 

Even though their lower-order batsmen hit a few boundaries hoping to turn the tide, they ultimately failed to rise to the challenge. G Force's bowlers, backed by good fielding, focused on their task and won the match by 31 runs.

Jaimeek Shah receives the best bowler award for Under-13 event from Sudhakar Shetty 

The final was witnessed by many cricket lovers who encouraged both teams. The game was also streamed live for those who couldn't attend the stadium. Commenting on the double triumph, Gopal Jasapara, the Head Coach of the G Force Academy, said, 'I am proud of each one of them. They have given their best in all the tournaments they have played. So, keep up the good work.' He also made a special mention of Jaimeek Shah, one of their players who is just 12 years old. Shah has played 23 games in the last 37 days across Under-12 to Under-17 categories and scored nearly 900 runs. He is a role model for everyone due to his dedication.'

Behind Maxtalent’s signature event

Maxtalent Emirates Cup, a signature event of Maxtalent, has been launched as a testimony to express gratitude to the UAE for its support to Maxtalent Global Sports over the past 17 years. The project was a brainchild of the late Anima Shetty, who passed away in November last year and is the wife of Sudhakar Shetty, the founder and head coach of Maxtalent.  Anima used to manage Maxtalent on many overseas tours.

Anima Shetty

As a mark of respect for his old acquaintance with Anima Shetty, Rajasthan Royals assistant coach & Royals Global Academy head,  Siddhartha Lahiri, flew down to Dubai all the way from the UK to give away the prizes.

In addition to being a highly successful academy, Maxtalent has also built a strong reputation for UAE cricket over the years by organizing inter-school and university games. These tournaments have produced many young cricketers in both boys' and girls' categories and have consistently supplied talented players for the UAE national teams in different age groups.

Brief scores:
G Force bt Maxtalent by 31 runs.  G Force: 203 for 6 in 25 overs (Shane Saldanha 37, Saif Ali Khan 79, Cleon Sequeira 2 for 28). Maxtalent: 172 for 8 in 25 overs (Cleon Sequeira 64, Roshaan Wali 3 for 16, Aditya Iyer 2 for 20). 

Individual Awards:
Player of the final - Saif Ali Khan
Best Batsman of the tournament - Shane Saldanha (G Force) 183 runs in 5 matches
Best Bowler of the tournament - Aryan Modha (G Force) 9 wickets in 5 matches
Player of the tournament - Cleon Sequeira (Maxtalent) 182 runs and 8 wickets