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So that concludes our coverage of this contest but there's more action lined up for you from the TNPL 2023. The iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans will be looking to make it three in a row as they face Ravichandran Ashwin's Dindigul Dragons tomorrow at this very venue. Do join us for our coverage of that clash as well as plenty more cricketing action from around the world right here on Sportskeeda. For the moment though, this is the duo of Karthik Raj and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Thank you so much for joining us as we hope you enjoyed our coverage. See you around soon - good night and take care!
A comprehensive win for the Kovai Kings but they wouldn't want to stop despite getting the 'Q' against their name. Finishing in the top two gives a team two bites at the cherry to make the final and they'd want to grab that chance with both hands. As for the Spartans, their campaign has reached last-chance salon. They're still in this but they have to win their next two matches and by pretty decent margins as well while they're at it in order to give their net run-rate a boost. Lots to ponder over after two convincing defeats!
Shahrukh Khan (Lyca Kovai Kings captain): Really happy. We've done the processes well. I think we've been on a roll and it's good to keep continuing like this. (Highlight of the team so far?) I think it's the camaraderie off the field. The boys share a really good bond. The way Ram played, if you have a look at the dressing room this season I think everybody was really happy for him. There was actually nothing I'll be honest (laughs). Atheeq is a good player of spinners and he wanted to take them on so we said okay go for it. Ram, the way he played, kudos to him. It's not easy to play like that on a wicket like this. (On Sai Sudharsan leaving) I think everybody has got runs, Sujay, Suresh, number 3,4,5,6. That's why I've been coming down the order to get runs before Sai Sudharsan leaves. It's good for us ahead of the knockouts too.
Abhishek Tanwar (Salem Spartans skipper): Thought 200 was par but wicket slowed down later on. We bowled a lot of full-tosses and conceded sixes. There was also a breeze in one direction and that made it easier to clear the fence. However, no excuses, we couldn't execute. We have a lot of youngsters and that is why we have Kaushik Gandhi in the middle-order
Ram Arvindh is the Player of the Match for his stunning unbeaten half-century. Here's what he has to say: I realized it after the first innings (on scoring the fastest fifty of the season). The team comes first. They gave me opportunities so wherever the team needs me I want to do well. All I wanted to do was...we had Shahrukh and Momi to come. The main goal was to keep up that momentum.
K Gowtham Thamarai Kannan: The captain and the coach have backed my strength. They have given me a lot of freedom. During the practice sessions, we have focused on being switched on from the very first ball. (About his celebrations) It just comes up with the momentum. (About how the team felt about Ram Arvindh's quick fifty) We back each other. We enjoy everyone's success!
Match Summary: Lyca Kovai Kings beat Salem Spartans by 79 runs!
Outbatted, outbowled and outfield. Out-run between the wickets too as Ravichandran Ashwin suggested about the Dindigul Dragons a couple of days ago and the same holds good for the Salem Spartans. Barring that one phase in the middle with the ball where they triggered a bit of a collapse, they just did not turn up today and the Lyca Kovai Kings have given them a hiding. It all started with a collective batting performance headlined by Ram Arvindh's 22-ball half-century that powered them to a total of 199 post which their bowlers were on top of their mark.
K Gowtham Thamarai Kannan swung the new ball and hit his straps from the word go. A wicket fell in each of the first three overs with the Spartans batters guilty of playing far too many loose strokes. All hope seemed lost when they lost another one inside the powerplay with Thamarai Kannan breathing fire and that is exactly how things unfolded, with just no way back for the home side against a red-hot Kovai bowling unit.
Sunny Sandhu was promoted up the order and he unleashed some big hits, much like Muhammed Adnan Khan did later on. But it was always going to be a huge mountain for them to climb with the asking rate reaching gargantuan proportions. Skipper Shahrukh Khan held his nerve even as he was given a taste of his own medicine with a couple of sixes before he removed Adnan. It was all but a mere formality throughout the innings with the Salem batters turning in a really poor display with the bat.
Mind you, they were switched on throughout and it showed on the field as well with Thamarai Kannan inflicting a run out and U Mukilesh pulling off a screamer of a catch. And if Valliappan Yudheeswaran was feeling left out, he didn't have to worry for long as he nipped the final wicket in the bud to complete as well-rounded a team performance as we've seen throughout this season. Stick around for the presentation...
And the extra delivery results in a wicket! Just sums up the game for the Salem Spartans and it's the skipper who holds onto a sitter. Lyca Kovai Kings become the first team to qualify for the playoffs of TNPL 2023!
19
overs
120/10score
1
0
0
0
1
1wd
W
runs
Akash Sumra*
20(15)
R Karthikeyan
3(9)
Valliappan Yudheeswaran
1/16
18.6 Valliappan Yudheeswaran to Akash Sumra, MISCUED AND TAKEN! Full and slow outside-off, Sumra looks to go big but he ends up chipping it to mid-off where Shahrukh takes a dolly of a catch. So, Salem Spartans have been rolled over for 120 and Kovai triumph by 79 runs!
Akash Sumra c Shahrukh Khan b Valliappan Yudheeswaran 20 (15b, 3x4, 0x6)