Karaikudi beat Kovai Kings to cruise to their 3rd win in a row

After starting the season with a couple of defeats the Karaikudi Kaalai team has now won their 3rd consecutive match to end the three-match winning streak of Lyca Kovai Kings at the Chepauk. After a delayed start due to rain, Karaikudi posted 159/5 in their 20 overs and later restricted Kovai Kings to 123/9 to bag a convincing 36-run win.

After electing to bat first, Karaikudi lost the wicket of R Srinivasan early. However, M Vijay Kumar along with S Badrinath carried on the innings at a good pace. Vijay Kumar was pretty good in finding the gaps and scored at 160+ strike rate. He hit 5 fours and a six in his 35 off 21 balls before playing off M Mohammed’s bowling.

Post powerplay, runs came at run-a-ball pace with Badrinath and Vishal Vaidhya at the crease. Mohammed once again struck as he broke the 40-run stand. Srikkanth Anirudha’s arrival at the crease quickened things for his side as the both the experienced campaigners extracted runs at 10 an over for the 6 overs.

Badrinath brought up his maiden fifty in this TNPL with 6 fours and a six in 45 balls but fell for 53 on the very next ball after skiing a shot which ended up in the bowler, K Vignesh’s hand. Vignesh, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday, collided with his skipper Syed while taking the skier. He got back despite limping and finished his 4 overs with 2 wickets for 25 runs including a maiden.

Anirudha got out on the very last ball of the team’s innings after scoring a quick 45 from just 29 balls with 2 fours and 3 massive sixes.

Chasing 160 to win, Lyca Kovai Kings got off to a flyer as Anirudh Sitaram struck a couple of fours and sixes. However, Karaikudi picked up 3 wickets on the other end, to put pressure on Kovai Kings. As a result, Anirudh once again failed to convert the start scoring 35 in 29 balls. Captain Syed Mohammad followed him scoring just 10. S Harish Kumar struck 2 sixes in his 20 but got out in trying for the 3rd.

The tail-enders managed to clear the fence couple of times only to take their side to 123/9. Sonu Yadav picked up a 4-wicket haul including the wickets of Syed and Harish Kumar and bagged the man of the match award. All-rounder R Rajkumar took 4 catches near the fence.

Brief Scores:

Karaikudi Kaalai – 159/5 in 20 overs (S Badrinath 53, S Anirudha 45; M Mohammed 3/26, K Vignesh 2/25)

Lyca Kovai Kings – 123/9 in 20 overs (B Anirudh Sitaram 35, S Harish Kumar 20; R Sonu Yadav 4/22, C Ganapathy 2/14)