NE SPORTS BUREAU
TIRUNELVELI, JUNE 23
Nellai Royal Kings win by a whisker in Super Over against Chepauk Super Gillies in the opening match of the 6th season of the Shriram Capital Tamil Nadu Premier League at India Cements Cricket ground in Tirunelveli on Thursday.
The Nellai Royal Kings took on the defending champions Chepauk Super Gillies in the season opening match. The three-time champions Chepauk Super Gillies won the toss and elected to field first.
As the first innings began, the Nellai Royal Kings began to stumble early on, with the Chepauk Super Gillies putting on a brilliant bowling display in the powerplay. The batting team lost Pradosh Ranjan Paul (7 runs), Baba Aparajith (2 runs), and captain Indrajith (3 runs) very early. Things changed for the better with the partnership between Sanjay Yadav and Suryapprakash, with the duo scoring runs on all corners.
The swashbuckling duo went on to form a formidable partnership of 133 of 77 balls, with Suryaprakash (62 off 50 balls) going to score his third TNPL fifty and his highest score, while his partner at the other end Sanjay Yadav (87 off just 47 balls), scored his fifth. The record breaking 4th wicket partnership set the tone for the Nellai Royal Kings taking their final score to 184/4 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.
𝓚aushik 𝓖andhi 𝓕ireworks ✌🏻
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When asked about his sublime batting performance, Sanjay Yadav credited his stint with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL to have raised his confidence levels, and a few subtle changes to his batting style helped him play strokes more effortlessly.
As far as the Chepauk Super Gillies’ bowling is concerned, Siddharth M and Harish Kumar S were consolations in otherwise a dismal bowling effort. Harish Kumar S picked up his 50th wicket and now holds the distinction of being the first fast bowler in TNPL to do so.
Chasing an uphill target of 185, the Chepauk Super Gillies got off to a flying start, with N. Jagadeesan scoring 25 off 15 balls. The high action in TNPL makes way for high drama, and for the first time in the history of the tournament, a Mankading incident came to light. N. Jagadeesan was mankaded by Baba Aparjith in the fourth, creating a buzz among fans and players. The incident gave way for two quick wickets with S. Radhakrishnan (1) and U. Sasidev (15) getting out cheaply.
Just when things started to look bleak for the Nellai Royal kings, Sonu Yadav combined with captain Kaushik Gandhi to form a game changing partnership, taking the game away from the Chepauk Super Gillies. With good support from Sonu Yadav (34 off 23 balls), Kaushik went all guns blazing, leading from the front making 64 off 42 balls before getting out to Athisayaraj Davidson. With that, Davidson became the third bowler and the second seamer to bag 50 wickets in TNPL.
TNPL is all about intense finishes, and the season opener was nothing short of it. The final over from Davidson saw the heroics from Harish Kumar (26* off 12 balls) taking the match to a super over.
Super Over Summary:
Chepauk Super Gillies could only muster a mere 9 runs for the loss of 1 wicket (S. Harish Kumar), thanks to tight and disciplined bowling showcased by Athisayaraj Davidson. However, it was not easy for the Nellai Royal Kings, as they also lost a wicket (B. Indrajith) at the 4th ball of the super over with still 1 run required off 2 balls. However, debutant G. Ajitesh held his nerve to gather a single of the penultimate ball, helping the Nellai Royal Kings off to a winning start in the tournament
In spite of a successful season last year, the tournament missed out on its most valuable fans in the stadiums due to the pandemic protocols. However, the fans were back this time, and the sight of a filled stadium and noise levels at the highest was such a sight for sore eyes. The series opener was filled with drama and a super over drama, a probable gift for the fans back to see the game live.
Match Summary:
Nellai Royal Kings – 184/4 (20 Overs)
Sanjay Yadav – 87 * (47 balls),
Suryapprakash 62 (50 balls)
Ajitesh – 16 * (8 balls),
M.Siddharth 1/30
S Harish Kumar 1/30
Sandeep Warrior 1/35
Sonu Yadav 1/41
Chepauk Super Gillies – 184/7 (20 Overs)
Kaushik Gandhi – 64 (42 balls)
Sonu Yadav – 34 (23 balls)
Harish Kumar – 26* (12 balls)
Sanjay Yadav – 2/27
NS Harish – 1/41
V Athisayaraj Davidson – 1/44
Nellai Royal Kings won by super over.
Toss: Chepauk Super Gillies, chose to field
Debutants: Ajitesh G
Friday’s Match: Dindigul Dragons vs Ruby Trichy Warriors
