Sai Sudharsan stars in Kovai’s victory
As many as seven batters were dismissed for single digits, with opener Tushar Raheja top-scoring with 33 and helping the side get past the 100-run mark.
Kovai batter Sai Sudharsan was named the ‘Man of the Match’
CHENNAI: Joint defending champion Lyca Kovai Kings made a roaring start to its Tamil Nadu Premier League 2023 campaign as it crushed iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans by 70 runs in the tournament opener in Coimbatore on Monday.
Invited to bat first, Kovai put a competitive score of 179 for seven on the board even after a poor start, courtesy of youngster B Sai Sudharsan’s brilliant 86 (45 balls, 8 fours, 4 sixes). In the second essay, the Tiruppur batters fell like a pack of cards as the Kovai bowling unit bundled the ‘visiting team’ out for a paltry 109.
Medium pacers P Bhuvaneswaran (1/35) and Vijay Shankar (3/26 off 4 overs) provided a flying start for Tamizhans, which left Kings tottering at 14 for three in the third over. But, Kovai made a stunning comeback, thanks to a match-influencing 82-run fourth-wicket alliance between the in-form Sai Sudharsan and U Mukilesh (33 off 32 balls, 3 fours, 1 six).
Sai Sudharsan picked up from where he left off – the Indian Premier League – and set the TNPL Season 7 alight on the very first day. While Sai Sudharsan took the attack to the opposition after settling in, Mukilesh played perfect second fiddle to the southpaw.
Skipper Shahrukh Khan (25 off 15 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) provided the final flourish with a cameo and later shone with the ball. For Tiruppur, Vijay Shankar and left-arm spinner and skipper R Sai Kishore (2/24 off 4 overs) were the pick of the bowlers.
In the second innings, the Kovai bowling attack, led by off-spinner Shahrukh (3/20 off 4 overs), dominated from start to finish and never let Tiruppur make a contest out of the lop-sided match. Medium pacer M Mohammed (2/11) contributed two wickets while three bowlers scalped one each.
As many as seven batters were dismissed for single digits, with opener Tushar Raheja top-scoring with 33 and helping the side get past the 100-run mark.
Chepauk takes on Salem
Joint defending champion Chepauk Super Gillies will look to begin its TNPL 2023 campaign on a winning note when it takes on Salem Spartans in Coimbatore on Tuesday.
BRIEF SCORES: Lyca Kovai Kings 179/7 in 20 overs (B Sai Sudharsan 86, Vijay Shankar 3/26) bt iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 109 in 20 overs (Shahrukh Khan 3/20)
