Tiruppur make it to playoffs; Kovai win a thriller against Salem

Maan Bafna and bowlers combine to take Tiruppur to Playoffs

Tiruppur scripted a massive recovery after losing the top order cheaply. The Trichy Grand Cholas, led by Athisayaraj Davidson, made a significant impact after choosing to field first against the IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans. The pacer's initial bowling spell dismantled Tiruppur’s top order, leaving them at a precarious 6/67. He claimed four of those early wickets, putting Tiruppur firmly on the back foot.

Maan K Bafna and S Ganesh then engineered a crucial recovery for Tiruppur. The pair added 84 runs in 64 balls, helping the team reach 169/8. Maan K Bafna contributed a vital 50 off 35 balls, while S Ganesh provided valuable support with 39 runs in 37 balls.

When Trichy came out to chase, they met the same fate as Tiruppur’s batters. Waseem Ahmed, Shyam Sundar, and K Rajkumar all fell during the powerplay, putting Trichy in a difficult position. However, a 46-run partnership between Sanjay Yadav and PS Nirmal Kumar offered some hope. Nirmal Kumar, who had been playing a steady innings, accelerated in the 10th over by hitting three consecutive sixes off Mohamed Ali.

Despite this fightback, the skipper, Sai Kishore, struck with a two-wicket over, reducing Trichy to 77/5. Tiruppur’s trump card T Natarajan then dismissed Nirmal Kumar for 46, and Trichy struggled to recover from his departure. Ultimately, Trichy Grand Cholas fell short of the target by 47 runs, unable to complete the chase.

In the bowling department, the ever-reliable T Natarajan again led from the front with an impressive 3/6 in his three overs. The wily left-arm spinner Ajith Ram also made a significant impact by claiming three wickets, while Sai Kishore also contributed with two wickets.

With this victory, iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans became the fourth team to qualify for the Shriram Capital TNPL 2024 playoffs after Lyca Kovai Kings, Chepauk Super Gillies and Dindigul Dragons.

Talking about the loss, Trichy Grand Cholas’ Anthony Dhas said: We were in a strong position at the start of the match, but Maan K Bafna and S Ganesh took the game away from us. Despite the result, we played good cricket overall, and I am proud of the team's performance. We will address our mistakes and come back stronger next year.

The player of the match, T Natarajan, said: I started my TNPL career with the Dindigul team, so I am thrilled to win this game in front of the Dindigul crowd. Maan K Bafna and Ganesh’s partnership was crucial; they were extraordinary.

Reflecting on the win, Tiruppur captain Sai Kishore said: I was just coming back from an injury and did not want to push my body too much. Today, the situation demanded more from me, so I bowled four overs, and fortunately, things fell into place. Maan K Bafna was always a key player but had not had the chance to bat much before. Today, he was extraordinary. I am happy with our performance.

After the loss, Trichy's all-rounder Sanjay Yadav said: It is disappointing not to make it to the playoffs. We will come back stronger next year.

Talking about the win, Tiruppur's Radhakrishnan said: This is an unbelievable victory. After losing six wickets, Maan Bafna and Ganesh played crucial innings to help us post a strong total. Our bowlers were outstanding today.

Shahrukh Khans leads from the front as Kovai win a thriller

Opener Sujay's 48(39) runs and Shahrukh Khan's 50(18) runs guided Lyca Kovai Kings to a thrilling one-wicket victory over Salem Spartans in the first match of Saturday's doubleheader. After being asked to bat first, the Salem Spartans got off to a solid start, with openers  S Abishiek and Vishal Vaidhya adding 61 runs for the first wicket. However, their departure within two overs allowed Kovai to claw their way back into the game.

Jhathavedh Subramanyan played a key role in the middle overs, finishing with impressive figures of 2/16 and maintaining tight control. Despite his efforts, massive cameos from Vivek Raj and Harish Kumar helped Salem reach a competitive total of 171 for 4.

Vivek Raj scored a brisk 43 off 30 balls, while Harish Kumar remained unbeaten with a quickfire 42* from just 19 deliveries. Manimaran Siddharth also made a notable contribution with the ball, claiming 1/19 from his four overs.

In response, the Lyca Kovai Kings enjoyed substantial contributions from their top order. Six out of seven players scored in double digits, making the chase more manageable at the start. Opener Sujay led the way with a steady 48 off 39 balls. However, his unfortunate run-out added some pressure on the defending champions.

As the match progressed, Shahrukh Khan, despite being under pressure, played his natural game, scoring the fastest fifty of the season in just 17 balls.

While the chase was progressing smoothly for the Lyca Kovai Kings, M Poiyamozhi managed to swing the momentum back in favour of the Salem Spartans by dismissing Shahrukh Khan. This crucial breakthrough led to a sudden flurry of wickets. Suddenly, the pressure mounted on Kovai, leaving them needing just three runs from the final over with only two wickets.

Kovai pulled off the chase in the end with one wicket in the final delivery of the match. The defending champions finish the league stage with 12 points. Reflecting on the loss, Salem captain Abishiek said: I am proud of how the team fought until the end. If we had shown this level of performance throughout the season, we might have made it to the playoffs.

Talking about the win, Kovai captain Shahrukh Khan said: While it's great that we won this game, we didn't play our best in the final few overs. I should have finished the match but got out at a crucial moment. Although we've won six games this season, we still haven't played up to our full potential.

After the win, Kovai's Gowtham Thamarai Kannan said: Even though we've won six matches this season, there is still much room for improvement. Our goal is to secure a direct spot in the final by winning Qualifier 1. 

After the loss, Salem's Vishal Vaidhya said: This season has been disappointing for all of us. While there were some positives, we need to address our mistakes and come back stronger next season.

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