MATCH REPORT
Follow UsDindigul Dragons (DD) defeated Chepauk Super Gillies (CSG) by four wickets in the thrilling Eliminator of Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2024 on Wednesday (July 31). They will meet Tiruppur Tamizhans in the Qualifier 2 on Friday (August 2) in Chennai. The winner of that match will proceed to the final against the Kovai Kings on Sunday (August 4).
Dindigul chose to field first and quickly made their mark by dismissing Santhosh Kumar in the opening over. Narayan Jagadeesan got off to a solid start but was out after scoring 25 off 16 balls. Pradosh Ranjan Paul then partnered with Baba Aparajith at the crease. While Aparajith kept the scoreboard moving, Pradosh Ranjan Paul anchored the innings during their 46-run stand.
Aparajith held the innings together despite the team losing wickets at the other end. He scored 72 off 54 balls, and in doing so, he surpassed the 2000-run milestone in the TNPL. In the final stages of the innings, Abhishek Tanwar dealt with boundaries right from the outset. The all-rounder bludgeoned boundaries at will, with an unbeaten 22 off nine balls, steering the former champions to a competitive 158.
The Dindigul bowlers maintained tight control throughout the innings. Despite Baba Aparajith's strong performance, the team stayed in the game with P Vignesh leading the way, finishing with 1/17 in his four overs. Subodh Bhati and Varun Chakravarthy added to the effort with a wicket apiece.
Dindigul lost Vimal Khumar early to Rahil Shah while chasing Chepauk's 158. However, the team quickly recovered thanks to a crucial 112-run partnership between Shivam Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin. While Ashwin was dismissed for a solid 57 off 35 balls, Shivam kept up his dominance and led the chase effectively. The opener also overtook Tushar Raheja to reclaim the top spot in the run-scorers list before eventually departing with 64 off 49 balls.
A flurry of wickets saw Chepauk make a strong comeback, levelling the contest. Shivam’s departure further made things complicated for Dindigul. Prem Kumar, making his TNPL debut, delivered an impressive performance with 2/26 in his four overs. His spell kept Chepauk in the hunt, as Dindigul needed 15 runs from the final two overs.
However, a couple of dropped chances cost the former champions the game, as DD, with the help of Subodh Bhati, wrapped up the chase in the final over.
Reflecting on the loss, Chepauk Captain Aparajith said, "We conceded too many runs in the powerplay, and Ashwin capitalized on that period. If we had taken another wicket, then we might have been closer. I am proud of my team's performance today. Prem Kumar was impressive on his debut, and I am confident you will see more of him next season. There are many positives to take from this tournament, especially how closely contested most of our matches were."
The player of the match, Ashwin, said, "We made a lot of errors today, even though we won. I am pleased with how our bowlers restricted Chepauk to a below-par score. While we have secured wins, we have not quite played to our full potential. Hopefully, we can achieve that in the next two matches. Also, thanks to the crowd for their energy and support."
After the win, Dindigul's Dinesh Raj said, "Our bowlers restricted Chepauk to a below-par score. It was the reason for our win today."
After the loss, Chepauk's all-rounder Rahil said, "We conceded too many runs in the powerplay, and Ashwin was outstanding during that phase. Despite that, we fought hard until the end. I am proud of the way we battled."
Brief scores:
Chepauk Super Gillies 158/6 in 20 overs (Baba Aparajith 72, N Jagadeesan 25; Sandeep Warrier 2/35) lost to Dindigul Dragons 161/6 in 19.5 overs (Shivam Singh 64, Ravichandran Ashwin 57; Prem Kumar 2/26) by 4 wickets
Player of the Match: Ravichandran Ashwin
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