Dindigul Dragons, powered by skipper R. Ashwin’s sensible batting and inspirational management, clinched its maiden TNPL crown with a six-wicket win over Lyca Kovai Kings within the remaining on the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.
Dragons’ assault, led by pacer Sandeep Warrier (4-0-26-2) and spinners Varun Chakravarthy (4-0-26-2) and P. Vignesh (4-0-15-2), restricted Kovai Kings to 129 for seven.
Chasing the modest goal, Dragons had been in hassle as M. Siddharth despatched again Shivam Singh within the second over. G. Thamarai Kannan dismissed the opposite opener Vimal Khumar within the subsequent earlier than Ashwin and B. Indrajith (32, 35b, 3×4) revived the innings.
The duo rotated the strike and hit the odd boundary to maintain the scoreboard ticking.
The Dindigul aspect was firmly in management on the midway level when Kovai Kings skipper Shahrukh Khan broke the 65-run third-wicket stand by dismissing Indrajith within the 14th over.
Ashwin (52, 46b, 1×4, 3×6) went on to attain his third consecutive half-century earlier than Sarath Kumar’s blitz (27 not out, 15b, 2×4, 2×6) sealed it for Dragons.
Earlier, after a downpour delayed the beginning by 40 minutes, Ashwin’s choice to bowl first was vindicated.
Pacer Sandeep Warrier accounted for J. Suresh Kumar within the third over earlier than Sai Sudharsan and S. Sujay smashed 18 runs off V. P. Dhiran within the fifth over. Issues took a dramatic flip as soon as Varun was launched within the sixth over.
He dismissed Sujay, due to Indrajith’s glovework behind the stumps, and U. Mukilesh off the subsequent supply.
Nevertheless, it was the 19-year-old left-arm spinner P. Vignesh who acquired the large scalps of Sai Sudharsan and Shahrukh.
With Ashwin using the spin choke, the Kovai crew may rating solely 53 runs between overs seven and 15.
And the full of 129 wasn’t sufficient as soon as Ashwin blazed away.
The scores (remaining):
Lyca Kovai Kings 129/7 in 20 overs (Atheeq Ur Rahman 25, Sandeep Warrier 2/26, Varun Chakravarthy 2/26, P. Vignesh 2/15) misplaced to Dindigul Dragons 131/4 in 18.2 overs (R. Ashwin 52, B. Indrajith 32, Sarath Kumar 27 n.o.); Toss: Dindigul.