TNPL: Trichy Grand Cholas beat Nellai Royal Kings; Tiruppur Tamizhans make it three in a row

Trichy Grand Cholas defeated Nellai Royal Kings by 45 runs at the NPR College Ground in Dindigul in a TNPL match on Tuesday, while iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans chased down 167 to record their third successive victory in a later fixture.

Trichy posted 182 for 8 after Royal Kings elected to field, powered by captain J. Suresh Kumar’s 32-ball 58 (4x4, 3x6) and R. Rajkumar’s 45 off 19 balls (2x4, 5x6), with left-arm spinner Sachin Rathi returning three for 17 including a double-wicket maiden. Chasing 183, Royal Kings were dismissed for 137 with U. Mukilesh scoring 63 off 45 balls (2x4, 3x6) and Athisayaraj Davidson taking four for 24 in three overs.

Rajkumar contributed with both bat and ball for Grand Cholas, his 45 came quickly before he took two wickets with off-cutters, finishing with figures of two for 39; he removed Rithik Easwaran (18) who edged to short third man and Muhammed Adnan Khan (three) who holed out to wide long-on. Sachin Rathi’s three for 17 helped restrict Royal Kings after they chose to field.

Athisayaraj Davidson made an early impact with the ball for Royal Kings, striking twice in the opening over to have D. Santhosh Kumar play on and G. Ajitesh caught at cover for golden ducks, and later taking N.S. Harish (three) caught at long-off and yorking Sonu Yadav (12). Despite U. Mukilesh’s 63, Royal Kings could not recover from the early damage and were bowled out in 18 overs.

In the second match, opener Amith Sathvik hit his second fifty in as many games, finishing 66 off 29 balls (5x4, 6x6) as Tiruppur Tamizhans reached 167 for 6 in 18 overs to beat Vida Kovai Kings by four wickets. Sathvik struck back-to-back sixes twice during his knock, first off spinner Shahrukh Khan and later off pacer G. Kishoor; M. Mathivanan remained 34 not out.

Vida Kovai had posted 166 for 8 in their 20 overs with B. Sachin making 30 and C. Andre Siddarth 36, while T. Natarajan took two for 24. The match scorelines were: Trichy Grand Cholas 182/8 in 20 overs (J. Suresh Kumar 58, R. Rajkumar 45, Sachin Rathi 3/17, N.S. Harish 2/37) bt Nellai Royal Kings 137 in 18 overs (U. Mukilesh 63, Athisayaraj Davidson 4/24, K. Easwaran 2/15, R. Rajkumar 2/39). Vida Kovai Kings 166/8 in 20 overs (B. Sachin 30, C. Andre Siddarth 36, T. Natarajan 2/24, R. Silambarasan 2/47) lost to iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 167/6 in 18 overs (Amith Sathvik 66, M. Mathivanan 34 n.o., G. Kishoor 2/44, Jhathavedh Subramanyan 2/21).

Wednesday’s scheduled TNPL fixtures are Chepauk Super Gillies vs. SKM Salem Spartans at 3.30 p.m. and Dindigul Dragons vs. Madurai Panthers at 7.30 p.m.