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That's it from me, Rajarshi, and my friend Sooryanarayanan, as we wrap up our cricketing coverage for the day. We will be back with lots more tomorrow, 4 ECS matches starting from 12 noon IST, and we also have a double header in the Tamil Nadu Premier League as well! So do tune in to Sportskeeda tomorrow as we look forward to bringing you all the cricketing action, until then, it's goodbye!
Baba Indrajith (Nellai Royal Kings Captain): Very happy to make it four out of four but we just want to stick to the process, take it one game at a time and rectify the mistakes where we've gone wrong in the previous game. Looking very good; winning batting first was great. We started very well and then Apar showed his experience and maturity. Credit to KB Arun Karthik for the way he batted. (He batted) amazing - it's not easy to chase 200 on any wicket even though it was a good wicket. They were a couple of batters short as well but he took the responsibility and played really well.
Sanjay Yadav (duh, who else again!) is the Player of the Match for his stunning unbeaten 42-ball 70. Hear from him now: (On the game plan) We played well at the start. Ninja (Neranjan) started really well in the Powerplay. After that, me and Apar felt that they were bowling well so we should take it deep. Apar played really well and Inder added the finishing touches. We scored 200+ but they're very good as well so we had to bowl very well to defend it.
NS Chaturved (Madurai Panthers Captain): (On Arun Karthik's innings) It was spectacular. It morally feels like a victory to us since he means a lot to us; his form means a lot. He's carried this team from the first year. I think 180-190 was chasable. I think we lost it in small margins only since we had 35 to get off the last over; if we had got it down to 20 we could have done it. My ankle is better. As for Aaditya, we have no information on him since he's been taken to the hospital.
KB Arun Karthik, the blue-eyed boy of Madurai Panthers, played a knock for the ages, laced with some extraordinary hitting of the cricket ball, but there was absolutely no one to support him from the other end. He absolutely tore into Athisayaraj Davidson in the powerplay itself, with the sling-arm actioned bowler going for 25 in his two overs. K Easwaran scalped two wickets at the other end, and soon enough, the Madurai skipper, NS Chaturved, had to walk out with a dodgy ankle to partner the ominous Arun Karthik.
The duo stitched a 54-run partnership. Both of them were on the attack until Chaturved was trapped in front. It was all about Arun Karthik from then on, he was ably supported by Jagatheesan Kousik for a while until Kousik went for the big one and holed out. Karthik then started to run out of support as wickets continued to tumble at the other end. Sunny Sandhu walked in, hit a six and then departed right after; Sanjay Yadav bowled an economical over before Davidson was brought back into the attack. Arun Karthik smashed him for three successive boundaries, but he lost his partner two balls later as Sargunam was brilliantly snaffled by Davidson off his own bowling.
Karthik was still finding the boundaries, but it was too little for their liking. The required rate went higher and higher and soon spurred out of reach. Karthik eventually completed his hundred, a fine, fine one, and ended up holing out to Baba Aparajith in the final over. And so, Nellai Royal Kings ended up victorious in the battle of the table-toppers; they maintain a top-spot with a good boost to their Net Run Rate as well.
The firecrackers fly into the night sky to screeches and applause from the Dindigul crowd! It is the Nellai Royal Kings who come off with their 100 percent win record, they now have 4 wins out of 4, and will sit comfortably at the top of the table!
20
overs
183/8score
0
4
1w
W
1
1
1
runs
Ragupathy Silambarasan*
2(2)
L Kiran Akash
1(1)
Sri Neranjan R
1/41
19.6 R Sri Neranjan to R Silambarasan, full length delivery outside off, Silambarasan powers it to wide long off as he hangs deep in his crease and brings the curtains down on this contest by collecting a single. A fine all-round performance and it's four out of four for the Nellai Royal Kings!
19.5 R Sri Neranjan to R Mithun, right into the blockhole on off stump, Mithun dinks it out off the toe-end through mid-wicket for a single.
19.4 R Sri Neranjan to R Silambarasan, very full outside off, Silambarasan hangs deep and blasts it down the ground past the bowler before long off picks up. Just a single!
Video
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S Yadav
A Karthik
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Ragupathy Silambarasan
*
Sri Neranjan R
NPR College Ground, Dindigul
