MATCH REPORT
Follow UsLyca Kovai Kings (LKK) defeated Chepauk Super Gillies (CSG) by 13 runs in the inaugural match of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2024.
The eighth season of the TNPL began in Salem with a grand opening ceremony attended by all eight captains. In the league's opening match, Chepauk Super Gillies won the toss and chose to bowl first.
Lyca Kovai Kings suffered an early setback, losing J Suresh Kumar, Sujay, and Shahrukh Khan within the powerplay, which put the team under considerable pressure. Chepauk Super Gillies' new recruit, Abhishek Tanwar, was the main destroyer with the ball. Opening the bowling for the team, the all-rounder grabbed two wickets in his first two overs, finishing with 4/26 in his full quota.
B Sachin and U Mukilesh combined for a crucial 64-run partnership, successfully rebuilding the innings. Sachin had a watchful start and gradually built his innings to top-score with 63 off 53 deliveries. In contrast, Mukilesh adopted an aggressive approach right from the beginning, contributing 31 runs off 25 deliveries. Daryl S Ferrario, who was introduced into the attack during the latter stages of the innings, made an immediate impact by breaking the partnership.
The defending champions accelerated in the final phase, adding 43 runs in the last five overs to conclude with 141/7. Notably, G Periyaswamy also made a memorable comeback for Chepauk Super Gillies, finishing with figures of 1/24.
Chepauk Super Gillies, requiring 142 runs for victory, lost the debutant Santhosh Kumar in the first over. Narayan Jagadeesan and Baba Aparajith then constructed a solid partnership of 56 runs for the second wicket. However, Jagadeesan could not carry on after getting a start, falling for 22-ball 18.
In a crucial turn of events, Lyca Kovai Kings' captain Shahrukh Khan, the highest wicket-taker of the last edition, struck early in his 1st over by dismissing Baba Aparajith for 38 runs off 29 deliveries. The momentum continued for Lyca Kovai Kings as Daryl S Ferrario (2 off 4 balls) also fell shortly after, leaving Chepauk Super Gillies struggling at 63/4 by the 11th over.
After the departure of their experienced duo, Pradosh Ranjan Paul and Jitendra Kumar steadied the innings with a run-a-ball partnership of 45 runs for the fifth wicket. However, despite their efforts, Chepauk Super Gillies were left requiring 52 runs from the final five overs. Pradosh Ranjan Paul, who scored 40 off 32 balls, was retired out just before the final over, with the team needing 18 runs. The move did not help Chepauk Super Gillies to cross the line as Lyca Kovai Kings won by 13 runs.
In the bowling department, Gowtham Thamarai Kannan, M Mohammed, Shahrukh Khan and Jhathavedh Subramanyan grabbed a wicket each for the defending champions.
After the loss, Chepauk Super Gillies captain Baba Aparajith said: We thought that we would win this game with ease, but unfortunately, losing my wicket and Jagadeesan's wicket in the crucial time changed the course of the game.
The player of today's match, B Sachin, said, "I had to take time and bat because of the conditions. My partnership with U Mukilesh turned out to be an important one. Our captain, Shahrukh Khan, is leading the team very well."
The winning captain, Shahrukh Khan, said, "We had a different plan before the game, but when we saw the pitch, we thought this score would be enough to defend. We have the best set of bowlers, and I had faith in them to defend this."
In the first double-header of the season, Dindigul Dragons will meet Trichy Grand Cholas in the first match, while Salem Spartans lock horns with Siechem Madurai Panthers in the second match on Saturday.
Brief scores:
Lyca Kovai Kings 141/7 in 20 overs (B Sachin 63, U Mukilesh 31; Abhishek Tanwar 4/26) beat Chepauk Super Gillies 128/6 in 20 overs (Pradosh Ranjan Paul 40, Baba Aparajith 38; Jhatavedh Subramanyan 1/11) by 13 runs
Player of the Match: B Sachin
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