TNPL 2021: Ruby Trichy Warriors thrash Nellai Royal Kings by 74 runs in first completed game of the season
The 2021 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) finally saw a result as the Ruby Trichy Warriors thrashed the Nellai Royal Kings by 74 runs at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, July 21.
Riding on opener Amit Sathvik's 52-ball 71, the Warriors overcame the loss of two early wickets to amass 151/5 in their 20 overs. Adithya Ganesh (33 off 36) and Antony Dhas (35* off 20) were the other contributors in the first innings.
The Royal Kings were never really in the hunt. The first five wickets fell with just 12 runs on the board as veteran pacers Sunil Sam and P Saravan Kumar scalped two wickets each. Captain Baba Aparajith holed out at third man for just 2, following which his team never recovered.
Baba Indrajiith scored 32 and Sanjay Yadav kept him company with a 22-ball 28, but a combination of poor decision-making and questionable shot-selection handed the Royal Kings a heavy defeat. Warriors left-arm spinner M Mathivannan picked up the last three wickets to fall, all via LBW, in his very first over.
The Warriors became the first team to collect the full two points in TNPL 2021 after the first two games of the season were washed out. Rain threatened to have a say on Match 3 as well, but it was never intense enough to cause a reduction in overs. Sathvik was adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant fifty.
TNPL 2021: Dindigul Dragons and Siechem Madurai Panthers in action on the fourth day
The only two teams who haven't featured in TNPL 2021 yet, the Dindigul Dragons and the Siechem Madurai Panthers, face off in Match 4 at Chepauk on Thursday, July 22. Rain has been forecast for the clash once again, but we should get a curtailed game at the very least.