Ashwin stars as Dindigul beat Kovai to win their maiden TNPL title

Dindigul Dragons set up a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Lyca Kovai Kings to lift their maiden Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) title at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on August 4 (Sunday).

Dindigul Dragons kept Lyca Kovai Kings' batters on the back foot by taking wickets at regular intervals from the outset. After choosing to field, Sandeep Warrier made the first breakthrough by dismissing Suresh Kumar in the third over.

The momentum shifted decisively in Dindigul's favour when Varun Chakravarthy struck twice in the sixth over, removing S Sujay and U Mukilesh cheaply. Building on this, P Vignesh dismissed Sai Sudharsan, further weakening Kovai's position.

Atheeq Ur Rahman and Ram Arvindh offered a brief respite for the defending champions, adding 36 runs for the fifth wicket. However, Subodh Bhati ended that by removing Atheeq for 25 off 17 balls.

The young Vignesh, who has been a find of the season, further compounded Kovai's troubles by getting the better of Shahrukh Khan for just three runs. The Kovai captain found Sarath Kumar at the mid-wicket boundary while trying to dispatch a full toss. 

The Kovai Kings found themselves at 105/6, desperately needing a big finish. Ram Arvindh held on as long as he could but eventually bowed out for 27 off 26 balls to Warrier. In the end, cameos from the tail-enders helped the defending champions reach 129 runs.

The Dindigul spinners dominated the Kovai Kings. Captain Ravichandran Ashwin finished with 0/13, while Vignesh took 2/15. The experienced Chakravarthy also made a significant impact with 2/26. Warrier grabbed two wickets, and Bhati also claimed a wicket.

Chasing 130 runs for victory, the Dindigul got off to a strong start despite the early loss of Vimal Khumar and Shivam Singh. The experienced duo of Ashwin and Baba Indrajith then teamed up to guide Dindigul through a recovery.

With no scoreboard pressure, the experienced duo added a run-a-ball 65 runs for the third wicket, which proved decisive. Ashwin again led from the front, scoring his third consecutive half-century and finishing with a match-winning 52 runs from 46 balls.

After Indrajith’s departure, the Dindigul captain also put together a 33-run stand with Sarath Kumar. When only nine runs were needed for victory, Ashwin was dismissed while attempting to clear the mid-wicket boundary.

In the end, Sarath Kumar finished the chase in style, smashing a six to end with an unbeaten 27 off 15 balls and guiding Dindigul to their maiden TNPL title.

Reflecting on the win, Dindigul Dragons batter Baba Indrajith said, "We are obviously thrilled to lift the trophy. After our loss to the Chepauk Super Gillies, we spoke with Ashwin and were determined to come back strong. This victory is dedicated to all the Dindigul members and management. A special credit goes to Ashwin for leading the team from the front."

Orange Cap winner Shivam Singh remarked, "I’m really glad to lift the trophy for the first time. We’ve been here before and lost in the finals a few times, but this time, we gave our all to ensure we secured the win."

The Player of the Tournament and Kovai Kings captain Shahrukh Khan reflected on the team's loss, "We performed well in the last two seasons and similarly did well in this season too. Unfortunately, losing too many wickets in the middle was the main reason for our defeat. However, there are many positives to take from this tournament, and we will come back stronger next season."

The TNPL 2024 winning captain, Ravichandran Ashwin, said: "This win has brought a lot of joy to the franchise. We have reached the play-offs and finals several times but always had a disappointing end without winning a trophy. This season, I made a promise to the management and owners that I would play in all the matches, and I am happy to have fulfilled that promise. I would be even happier if players from TNPL move on to the Tamil Nadu state team and then the Indian team."

Brief Scores: 

Lyca Kovai Kings 129/7 in 20 overs (Ram Arvindh 27 off 26; P Vignesh 2/15, Varun Chakravarthy 2/26) lost to Dindigul Dragons 131/4 in 18.2 overs (Ravichandran Ashwin 52 off 46; Manimaran Siddharth 1/14) by six wickets.

Player of the Match: Ravichandran Ashwin

Player of the Tournament: Shahrukh Khan

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