MATCH REPORT
Follow UsOn Sunday (July 7), Lyca Kovai Kings pulled off a one-run win over IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans in a thrilling encounter to seal their second victory in Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024
The defending champions, Lyca Kovai Kings, who came into this contest after eight consecutive victories, opted to bat first. They lost Suresh Kumar early for just six runs. The other opener, Sujay, had a solid start to his innings but failed to capitalize on it, scoring 27 runs off 24 balls before getting dismissed. B Sachin, who played a pivotal role in their previous fixture, scored 30 runs off 24 balls. He struggled with timing and could not find his rhythm, unlike the other day.
During the toss, Shahrukh Khan confirmed that he would bat at number four throughout the season. This decision proved successful today as the Lyca Kovai Kings captain, scoring his first half-century of TNPL 2024, top-scored with 55 runs off 32 deliveries. He proved instrumental in guiding the team to 160 runs in their allotted 20 overs.
In the bowling department, Ajith Ram was the standout bowler for IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, finishing with figures of 2/13, which included bowling 11 dot balls. Meanwhile, T Natarajan, playing in his home ground, also played a significant role with 2/32 in his four overs. Vijay Shankar, Mohamed Ali, and Karuppusamy each claimed a wicket for IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans.
In return, Radhakrishnan departed for a golden duck to Gowtham Thamarai Kannan on the first ball of the innings. The spinners of Lyca Kovai Kings applied pressure at one end, while Tushar Raheja ensured that the scoreboard kept ticking for IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans at the other end. The opener reached his half-century in 27 balls, with back-to-back boundaries off Mohammed.
“We try to stick to our process. Though we were a little off-track today, we managed to pull off in the end. We have 100 per cent trust in Mohammed. He has done well multiple times even for Tamil Nadu. Today was one of the days where I had to take my time to score. I'm happy to contribute to the team in any way,” Shahrukh said in the post-match presentation.
When IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans required 49 runs from the last five overs, Raheja partnered with Mohamed Ali to add 52 runs for the fifth wicket. As victory seemed to slip away from the defending champions, Shahrukh Khan intervened by dismissing Mohamed Ali (35 runs off 20 balls) and conceding only three runs in the 19th over. The Lyca Kovai Kings captain ended with figures of 2/18, bringing his team back into contention.
In the final over IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans needed ten runs for the victory. Tushar Raheja and Bhuvaneswaran departed in consecutive deliveries, and when they needed two runs off the final delivery, Ajith Ram swung and missed the ball, leading to a run-out. In a dramatic finish, Lyca Kovai Kings pulled off a one-run win.
Brief scores:
Lyca Kovai Kings 160/7 in 20 overs (Shahrukh Khan 55, B Sachin 30; S Ajith Ram 2/13) beat IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 159/8 in 20 overs (Tushar Raheja 81, Mohamed Ali 35; Shahrukh Khan 2/18)
Player of the Match: Shahrukh Khan
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