Right then, that is it from this game and the Tirunelveli leg as well. IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans moves into the playoffs places with this win while Nellai Royal Kings need to come back stronger in the next game. There is a short break in the TNPL 2024 and the action will resume on 26th July, Friday as we shift to Dindigul now. The home side, Dindigul Dragons will take on Siechem Madurai Panthers at 7.15 pm IST (1.45 pm GMT). However, you all can join us early for all the build-up to the match. Until then, cheers and goodbye!
T Natarajan is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his superb four-wicket haul.
Earlier in the game, IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans posted a big total on the board courtesy of a collective effort from their batting unit. Tushar Raheja gave them the quick start with a fiery 41 off just 13 balls. Sundararaman Radhakrishnan was their top-scorer with a fine half-century while S Ganesh and S Mohamed Ali provided the late fireworks. Ragupathy Silambarasan was the pick of the bowlers while except Lakshay Jain, every other bowler chipped in with one wicket each. While chasing, Nellai Royal Kings were in the chase for most parts of the game from brilliant knocks from Arun Karthik, Rithik Easwaran, and Sonu Yadav, but just did not have enough firepower to go over the line.
Even after conceding a six on the first ball of the chase, P Bhuvaneswaran set the tone by picking up a wicket in the first over. T Natarajan followed it up with another, but they could not build on that and allowed a partnership. Skipper, Sai Kishore took the responsibility upon himself and broke that stand right after the field restrictions were lifted, but the main threat, Arun Karthik was still at the crease. Natarajan came in and dismissed him at a crucial stage. However, they were taken for plenty in the middle overs and the game almost went out of their hands, but that one over from Ramalingam Rohit where he took three wickets changed the momentum completely while T Natarajan finished things off with a four-wicket haul.
Despite losing Ajitesh G early on, Nellai Royal Kings got off to a fine start and their skipper led the charge. Arun Karthik looked in fantastic touch and made sure that they utilise Powerplay. He lost another partner in Nidhish Rajagopal, but found decent support from Arunkumar S J played second fiddle while Karthik took the aggressor's role and kept on finding the boundaries. However, just after the Powerplay, the skipper once again found himself fighting a lone battle. He notched up a excellent half-century but fell right after that which put them on the back foot. However, Rithik Easwaran emerged as another hero for them as he smashed it all around the part along with Sonu Yadav who also played a quick-fire cameo. They added 85 runs together with the former completing his half-century and got them closer to the total. Unfortunately, the last three overs didn't go their way and lost the set batters and ultimately fell short by just five runs.
IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans wins an absolute thriller here! The pendulum swung both ways and at different points, both teams were in a position to win the game. However, as they say, experience matters and that was the case here. Sai Kishore saved two overs of T Natarajan who kept his calm and put the pressure while Ramalingam Rohit took advantage of that and turned the game completely with a three-wicket penultimate over. Nellai Royal Kings will feel like this one got away from them, as till the 17th over, it was looking like, they would chase this down quite comfortably.
In over# 20
6
1
1wd
1
0W
6
1
T Natarajan 36/4(4)
19.6
6
SIX! Ragupathy Silambarasan hits a six off a full toss on the stumps over long on but it's the IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans who win the game to gain 2 crucial points in the table.
19.5
1
Another yorker on the stumps from T Natarajan with pace. Gohulmoorthi S flicks it well into the long on gap for a run.
19.5
1wd
WIDE! Too short and too high for the batter to play at it. The umpire signals a wide.
19.4
1
Fuller on the pads, flicked away to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Ragupathy Silambarasan is the last man in.
OUT! BOWLED! T Natarajan nails an inswinging yorker with pace on the leg stump line. Lakshay Jain looks to get away from the stumps and play the scoop shot but misses the ball completely. The leg stumps gets out of the picture and T Natarajan gets his fourth wicket.
19.3
W
OUT! BOWLED! T Natarajan nails an inswinging yorker with pace on the leg stump line. Lakshay Jain looks to get away from the stumps and play the scoop shot but misses the ball completely. The leg stumps gets out of the picture and T Natarajan gets his fourth wicket.
19.2
6
SIX! BANG! Lakshay Jain gets a juicy full toss on the line of the stumps from T Natarajan and he slaps the ball flat, straight to long on who grabs the catch but touches the boundary cushions and gives away six runs.
19.1
1
Nails a yorker on the line of the stumps. Gohulmoorthi S drives the ball to long off for a single off the first ball.
Lakshay Jain comes out to the middle now. IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans have been handed a penalty as well for Slow Over Rate. Only four fielders can be outside the circle now. T Natarajan has 21 runs to defend here.
In over# 19
0W
1
0W
1
0W
1
Ramalingam Rohit 33/3(4)
OUT! CAUGHT! Third of the over for Ramalingam Rohit and he has completely played Nellai Royal Kings out of the game in a single over! Bowls another slower ball from a good length outside the off stump and RS Mokit Hariharan goes for a big hit but manages to hit the ball straight up in the air towards Sai Kishore at covers who takes an easy catch.