TNPL 2022 Updated Points Table: Dindigul come up trumps in a high-scoring encounter against the Kovai Kings - Updated after Match 5
The Lyca Kovai Kings played their first match of TNPL 2022 against the Dindigul Dragons on Sunday, at the Indian Cement Ground in Tirunelveli. This was the Dragons' second game. They lost their opener against the Ruby Trichy Warriors.
In contrast to the comparatively low-scoring last couple of encounters, the two sides put up a high-scoring match with scores of over 180.
Winning the toss, Dindigul skipper Hari Nishanth elected to bowl first. In response, the Kovai Kings put up a solid batting performance with handy contributions from most of their top order. Openers Ganga Sridhar Raju and J Suresh Kumar started strongly, setting up a good platform for the innings.
A nail-biting finish for the @DindigulDragons 🔥
@StarSportsIndia @StarSportsTamil @justvoot
#LKKvDD
#TNPL2022
#NammaOoruNammaGethu
#TNPLonVoot
#TNPLonStarSportsTamil https://t.co/1eOIDLz0Bx
U Mukilesh and Shijit Chandran made the most of the start, with the former impressing with a 25-ball 49. Skipper Shahrukh Khan finished the innings with an 8-ball 19 to help the Kovai Kings post a solid total of 188/8.
Most of the Dindigul bowlers went for runs, with M Silambarasan and K Monish the only miserly ones. R Vivek finished with figures of 3/35.
However, Dindigul was a team possessed and came out all guns blazing. They played with an attacking intent right from ball one, posting a powerplay total of 59/0.
The onslaught continued till openers Hari Nishanth and Vishal Vaidhya brought up their 100-run stand in the 12th over, after which the DDG skipper fell.
A flurry of wickets followed, bringing the Kovai Kings back into the game. However, the new batters kept swinging and ensured the momentum wasn't lost.
!
Almost halfway there with 4️⃣9️⃣!
@starsportsindia @starsportstamil @justvoot
#LKKvDD
#TNPL2022
#NammaOoruNammaGethu
#TNPLonVoot
#TNPLonStarSportsTamil https://t.co/htq48O1dKn
In the end, a measured hand from AG Pradeep and cameos from Vivek and Monish saw the Dragons get home in the last over, chasing down the sizeable total and winning by five wickets. Hari Nishanth won the 'Player of the Match' award for his 36-ball 60.
TNPL 2022 Updated Points Table
This win takes the Dragons out of the bottom half of the table. However, their Net Run Rate is still on the negative side, and that's something they'll look to rectify in their upcoming games.
The Kovai Kings sit in the seventh place, ahead of Salem on NRR. The IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans are the only team yet to play a match, and they'll do so next.