Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024 | Last-over drama the order of the day
The Hindu
Nidhish Rajagopal's explosive batting helps Nellai Royal Kings secure victory in TNPL with thrilling finish.
With 20 needed off six balls, left-hander Nidhish Rajagopal (53 n.o., 35b, 3x4, 3x6) whacked medium-pacer Aswin Crist for a four, two sixes, and a four in succession to help Nellai Royal Kings beat Chepauk Super Gillies with three wickets and a ball to spare in the eighth edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) at the Salem Cricket Foundation (SCF) ground here on Sunday.
Aswin’s slower balls were dispatched for a straight four and two sixes to the deep midwicket boundary, while his wide yorker was sliced hard at for the outside edge to speed to the third man boundary for four.
Nellai’s chase was set up by opener Mokit Hariharan’s 52 (38b, 5x4, 1x6) and G. Ajitesh’s 14-ball cameo (30, 4x4, 1x6).
Mokit was dashing in the first four overs, but seemed to turn responsible and anchor the chase thereafter. Ajitesh’s knock, though, was the equivalent of 17-minute bare-knuckle boxing where the opposition only took and didn’t trade bruising blows.
Put in to bat, Chepauk got to 166 for six, thanks to opener N. Jagadeesan’s unbeaten 63 (46b, 3x4, 3x6).
Uncharacteristic of him, he only really pulled the trigger twice. In the 15th over, he hit back-to-back straight four and a six off debutant leg-spinner and impact player R. Kirubakar. In the 17th over, he played a switch hit for four over short third man and a straight six again off left-arm spinner Mohan Prasath.
In the second match of the day, Lyca Kovai Kings skipper M. Shahrukh Khan (55, 32b, 4x4, 4x6) was at his muscling best versus iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans. For instance, T. Natarajan had in fact outsmarted him with a slower ball in the 17th over, but his half-hit cleared the long off boundary.