TNPL | Rajkumar stars as Cholas open account

Rajkumar hit 5 fours and as many sixes in his blistering knock.
| Photo Credit: E. LAKSHMI NARAYANAN

R. Rajkumar’s blistering unbeaten 58 (24b, 5×4, 5×6) arrange Trichy Grand Cholas’ 14-run win over Lyca Kovai Kings in a TNPL conflict on the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground on Tuesday.

After a sudden downpour delayed the beginning by half-hour, Cholas openers H.I. Waseem Ahmed and S. Sujay started cautiously. Waseem received off the mark with a few streaky boundaries — one off left-arm spinner M. Siddharth and one other off pacer R. Rohit.

However, the introduction of pacer N. Kabilan led to Waseem’s downfall. Leg-spinner S. Jhathavedh made J. Kousik’s keep a short one, as the latter performed on within the seventh over. Skipper M. Shahrukh Khan then tightened the screws additional by delivering solely the second maiden over of the season to Sanjay Yadav.

With stress mounting, Sanjay launched Shahrukh into the long-on stands in his subsequent over, whereas Sujay pierced the third-man fence off Kabilan. But Jhathavedh returned to dismiss Sujay, breaking the 40-run third-wicket stand, within the thirteenth over.

Jafar Jamal introduced himself with a six off the primary ball however fell to pacer P. Bhuvaneswaran quickly as Cholas slipped to 92 for 4.

Rajkumar then joined Sanjay and hammered a six and a 4 earlier than getting a reprieve when Bhuvaneswaran dropped a sitter within the sixteenth over. He made Kovai Kings pay within the subsequent one, tearing into Kabilan with two big sixes and as many fours, plundering 21 off the over.

Rajkumar carried on the assault in opposition to Rohit, smashing two sixes to convey up his second fifty of the match off simply 18 balls, even as Sanjay fell. Saravana Kumar chipped in with two fours earlier than Rajkumar hit one other boundary off the penultimate supply of the innings.

In reply, Kovai Kings had been by no means within the hunt and ended up with 154 for 9.

The scores: Trichy Grand Cholas 168/5 in 20 overs (Waseem Ahmed 32, R. Rajkumar 58 n.o., S. Jhathavedh 2/32) bt Lyca Kovai Kings 154/9 in 20 overs (B. Sachin 38, Andre Siddarth 39, Athisayaraj Davidson 3/26, R. Rajkumar 2/32). Toss: Kovai Kings.

Wednesday’s match: Siechem Madurai Panthers vs Nellai Royal Kings (7.15 p.m.).