In a spectacular display of cricket, the Dindigul Dragons secured the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2024 title by defeating the Lyca Kovai Kings in the final at the MA Chidambaram Stadium 0n Sunday, August 4. The Dragons’ comprehensive victory was spearheaded by a stellar all-round performance from Ravichandran Ashwin, who was deservedly named Player of the Match.
Toss and team selections:
The Dragons won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that paid off handsomely as their bowlers restricted the Kings to a modest total. The Dragons’ decision to bowl first was likely influenced by the pitch conditions and their strong bowling lineup.
Lyca Kovai Kings innings:
The Kings’ innings began on a cautious note, with openers S Sujay and J Suresh Kumar struggling to find boundaries. Sujay showed some intent with a quick 22 off 12 balls, including three fours, but his dismissal slowed the momentum. J Suresh Kumar and Sai Sudharsan, the latter managing only 14 runs off 14 balls, also failed to capitalize on their starts.
The middle order faltered under pressure, with key batsmen U Mukilesh and Shahrukh Khan departing cheaply. Ram Arvindh (27 off 26) and Atheeq Ur Rahman (25 off 17) provided some stability, but their efforts were not enough to propel the team to a formidable total. The Kings ended their innings at 129/7, a score that seemed below par given the batting-friendly conditions.
The Dragons’ bowlers delivered an impressive performance, with Varun Chakravarthy, Sandeep Warrier and P Vignesh leading the charge. Chakravarthy’s crafty spin bowling yielded 2 wickets for 26 runs in his four overs, while Sandeep and Vignesh each claimed two wickets, keeping the pressure on the Kings throughout the innings.
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Dindigul Dragons innings:
Chasing a target of 130, the Dragons had a shaky start with early wickets falling. R Vimal Khumar (9 off 8) and Shivam Singh (4 off 3) were dismissed cheaply, leaving the team in a precarious position. However, R Ashwin, coming in at number four, played a mature and composed innings, scoring 52 off 46 balls, including three sixes. His partnership with Baba Indrajith (32 off 35) steadied the ship and laid the foundation for a successful chase.
As the innings progressed, Sarath Kumar‘s quickfire 27 off 15 balls, featuring two fours and two sixes, accelerated the scoring rate and brought the Dragons closer to victory. Despite losing a couple of wickets towards the end, the Dragons comfortably reached the target with six wickets in hand and 10 balls to spare, finishing at 131/4 in 18.2 overs.
The Kings’ bowlers struggled to make significant inroads, with Manimaran Siddharth being the only standout performer, taking 1 wicket for 14 runs in his four overs. K Gowtham, Thamarai Kannan and Shahrukh Khan also picked up wickets, but they couldn’t prevent the Dragons from achieving their target.
