Kovai records 9-wicket win over Tiruppur

CHENNAI: Kovai Kings opener Suresh Kumar won the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his unbeaten 83

Lyca Kovai Kings returned to winning ways with a dominant nine-wicket victory over iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans in the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2022 in Coimbatore on Saturday, thanks to the unbroken second-wicket partnership of 151 runs between Suresh Kumar and B Sai Sudharsan.

Kovai, which had lost to Chepauk Super Gillies in its previous match, restricted Tiruppur to 157 for seven after opting to bowl first. In the second essay, Kings sailed to its target in just 15.2 overs, courtesy of aggressive batting by opener Suresh (83 not out off 44 balls, 9 fours, 3 sixes) and No.3 Sai Sudharsan (68 not out off 41 balls, 9 fours, 1 six).

Kovai now has six points from as many matches while Tiruppur has four points from five games. Invited to bat, Tamizhans was off to a flier as skipper Aniruda Srikkanth (39 off 21 balls, 1 four, 5 sixes) smacked Kings pacer K Vignesh for three sixes and a four in the second over. Aniruda shared a 62-run alliance with S Aravind (27) for the opening wicket as the right-left combination set the base.

However, Tiruppur could not launch into the Kovai attack post the dismissal of Aniruda, who was sent back by mystery spinner B Surya (3/19). Surya also accounted for Aravind and M Mohammed (0) – both bowled – during his match-winning performance. Wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who made his first appearance of the season, could manage only 21 (16 balls), an innings which included three boundaries.

In the chase, Ganga Sridhar Raju (5) was removed early, but Suresh and Sai Sudharsan took the attack to the opposition. Suresh, who went after L Sathiyannaarayan and Aswin Crist in the powerplay, brought up his half-century with a four over deep mid-wicket. Meanwhile, Sai Sudharsan completed his milestone with a pull shot that resulted in a four.

“It was a must-win match for us. The boys delivered at the right time. The way we finished the match was superb. The reception from the fans has been amazing,” said Kovai captain Shahrukh Khan at the post-game presentation.

BRIEF SCORES: iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 157/7 in 20 overs (Aniruda Srikkanth 39, B Surya 3/19, S Ajith Ram 2/27) lost to Lyca Kovai Kings 158/1 in 15.2 overs (Suresh Kumar 83*, B Sai Sudharsan 68*)