TNPL 2022 | Madurai edge past Kovai Kings courtesy NS Chaturved's brilliant fifty

Siechem Madurai Panthers have registered their second straight win in the ongoing edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2022, beating Lyca Kovai Kings by two wickets on the penultimate ball of the inning while chasing a target of 151.

Skipper NS Chaturved was the truest architect of the chase for the Madurai Panthers, jabbing 75 runs off just 45 deliveries. The 31-year-old was excellently supported by wicket-keeper batter Arun Karthik, who smacked 33-balls 38 and shared a 105-run stand with the skipper. 

Chasing a target of 152, Siechem Madurai Panthers got off to an awful start, losing two of their top-order batters for a two-ball duck each. NS Chaturved and Arun Karthik then took their side back to tread by sharing a century partnership between them.

However, their dismissals triggered a terrible batting collapse for the Panthers, which saw 5 of their lower-order batters getting out for a single-digit score. 

Jagatheesan Kousik, who was holding the one-end tight, finally took the matter in his hand and smashed the winning runs for the Panthers as his late flourishes saw the team hunting down the target with just one ball to spare. 

For LKK, skipper Shahrukh shined with the ball as he went on to pick four wickets in just 2.5 overs while conceding 14 runs. Abhishek Tanwar also bagged two wickets for the Kings. 

Earlier Lyca Kovai Kings dished out an underwhelming batting performance which saw a terrible batting collapse, leading them to the under-par total of 151 runs at the end of the 20 overs.

U Mukilesh top-scored for the Shahrukh Khan-led side as he scored a 38-ball half-century, followed by Suresh Kumar's fighting 46 runs that came off 22 deliveries. Except for the duo, none of their batters could cross the 14-run mark. 

R Silambarasan was the pick of the bowlers for the Panthers, having claimed three wickets while conceding 28 runs in his quota of 4 overs. S Sandhu was equally impressive with the ball as he picked two wickets while conceding just 13 runs in 4 overs. Kiran Akash also bagged two wickets, but he was pretty expensive with his spell as he leaked runs at an economy of 10.  

It was the second consecutive win for NS Chaturved-led Siechem Madurai Panthers, while on the contrary, it was the second straight loss for the Lyca Kovai Kings in the tournament. 

With 4 points and a decent NRR of +0.482, Mudari Panthers are placed second in the TNPL 2022 points table. Lyca Kovai Kings, on the other hand, are swirling in the bottom half of the standings and yet to win the game. 

Brief Score: 

Lyca Kovai Kings: 151/10 (20 Overs)

Suresh Kumar 46 (22), U Mukilesh 50 (38)

R Silambarasan 3-28 (4), S Sandhu 2-13 (4) 

Siechem Madurai Panthers: 154/8 (19.5 Overs) 

Arun Karthik 38 (33), N Chaturved 75 (45)

Shahrukh Khan 4-14 (2.5), A Tanwar 2-22 (4)

Siechem Madurai Panthers won by two wickets.