Harish Kumar, Rahil Shah power Super Gillies to seven-wicket win

iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans and Chepauk Super Gillies locked horns in the 5th match of the Shriram Capital Tamil Nadu Premier League 2023 at SNR College Cricket Ground in Coimbatore.

iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans won the toss and opted to bat first. However, things did not go their way, as Chepauk Super Gillies bowled well right from the start. S Harish Kumar and R Rohit opened the bowling for the Super Gillies and kept things tight.

S Harish Kumar dismissed the opener, R Tushar Raheja, for two runs. Rahil Shah removed NS Chaturved, while Baba Aparajith dismissed K. Vishal Vaidhya.

S. Radhakrishnan and Vijay Shankar tried to steady the innings. They kept the scoreboard ticking and added 58 (53) for the fourth wicket. Rahil S. Shah broke the partnership by dismissing S. Radhakrishnan for 36 (33). Vijay Shankar also got out soon for 28 (28).

In the end, R Vivek's 26* (18) helped iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans reach 120/7 in their 20 overs. Notably, R. Vivek scored 17 runs in the 20th over. S Harish Kumar and Rahil S Shah picked up two wickets each for Chepauk Super Gillies.

Chasing 121 to win, the impact player of the day, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, opened the inning along with Jagadeesan Narayan for Chepauk Super Gillies. Pradosh Ranjan Paul began to attack right from ball one. The opener scored two boundaries off G. Periyasamy's first over.

Jagadeesan Narayan, on the other hand, smashed 12 runs off Sai Kishore's over before getting out to S Ajith Ram for 13 (9). Pradosh Ranjan Paul and Baba Aparajith added a 39-run partnership for the second wicket.

Baba Aparajith looked in good touch right from the start. He smashed three fours and a six in 10 deliveries and raced to 26 off 15. S Ajith Ram broke the partnership in the 9th over by dismissing Pradosh Ranjan Paul for 25. Sanjay Yadav joined the attack by scoring two fours and a six for his 22 before getting out to S. Mohamed Ali.

Since there was no scoreboard pressure, S. Harish Kumar and Baba Aparajith stayed calm in the middle and dealt in singles to reach 106/3 in 15 overs.

In the end, Baba Aparajith smashed back-to-back sixes and finished the innings in the 16th over. He remained unbeaten at 46. Ajith Ram was the pick of the bowlers for iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans with 2/15 from his four overs.

Chepauk Super Gillies moves to the top of the table with this win. Notably, this is the second consecutive loss for the iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans.

Speaking after today's loss, iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans captain Sai Kishore said, "I thought we could win if we get to 140–150 on this surface. We could not score big because of the wrong choice of shot. Our next game is in Dindigul, which has a good batting surface. I believe that our batters will perform well there.

Speaking about the win, Chepauk Super Gillies captain Jagadeesan Narayan said, "All the credit must go to the bowlers, especially S Harish Kumar and Rahil S Shah. They bowled well. Our coach, Hemang Badani, is working on the field but is more like a friend off the field. Our team has a good understanding because of his approach."

In the 6th match of the Shriram Capital Tamil Nadu Premier League, Lyca Kovai Kings will take on Nellai Royal Kings. Both teams had a winning start to their campaigns. Lyca Kovai Kings defeated iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans by 70 runs. Nellai Royal Kings edged past the Siechem Madurai Panthers by six wickets.

(Image and Match report courtesy: TNPL)