LKK defends TNPL crown after thrashing NRK by 104 runs
Lyca Kovai Kings (LKK) beats Nellai Royal Kings (NRK) by 104 runs
Lyca Kovai Kings (LKK) beats Nellai Royal Kings (NRK) by 104 runs (Photo: Twitter)
CHENNAI: Lyca Kovai Kings retained its Tamil Nadu Premier League crown after crushing Nellai Royal Kings by 104 runs in a lop-sided Season 7 final at the India Cements Company Ground in Tirunelveli on Wednesday.
Electing to bat first, Kovai, which had shared the trophy with Chepauk Super Gillies in the previous edition, put a mammoth score of 205 for five on the board, thanks to half-centuries from Suresh Kumar (57 off 33 balls, 4 fours, 3 sixes), U Mukilesh (51 not out off 40 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) and Atheeq Ur Rahman (50 off 21 balls, 8 fours, 1 six).
In the second essay, the Nellai batters fell like a pack of cards as the team was bowled out for 101 in the 15th over. Up-and-coming leg-spinner Jhatavedh Subramanyan (4/21 off 4 overs) was the destroyer-in-chief and was later named the ‘Man of the Match’ while skipper Shahrukh Khan (3/16 off 4 overs) contributed three wickets.
Royal Kings never got going in the chase as it lost half of the side for 62 in the eighth over. That the individual top score was only 27 (14 balls, 3 fours, 2 sixes) – by skipper and opening batter KB Arun Karthick – displayed its plight.
Earlier, Kovai rose to the occasion on a night when its best batter B Sai Sudharsan was unavailable and Shahrukh could not make much of an impact with the blade. After Kovai was reduced to 31 for two in the fourth over, opener Suresh and No.4 Mukilesh put on an invaluable third-wicket partnership that was worth 71 runs.
Mukilesh then combined forces with No.6 Atheeq, stitching a 74-run alliance for the fifth wicket to take Kovai close to the 200-run mark. Speaking after the end of the title decider, Shahrukh said: “Our plan at the auction was to pick characters who would be calm in every situation. Our target is for three years, not just one year. We want to achieve a lot of things until 2025. It feels great to win two titles in two years, but the target is 2025.”
BRIEF SCORES: Final: Lyca Kovai Kings 205/5 in 20 overs (Suresh Kumar 57, U Mukilesh 51*, Atheeq Ur Rahman 50, Sandeep Warrier 2/39, Sonu Yadav 2/43) bt Nellai Royal Kings 101 in 15 overs (Jhatavedh Subramanyan 4/21, Shahrukh Khan 3/16)