CHENNAI: Lyca Kovai Kings and Dindigul Dragons will eye a spot in the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2023 final when they face each other in Qualifier 1 at the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground in Salem on Friday.
At the end of the round-robin stage, Kovai and Dindigul finished on 12 points, with the former pipping the latter on net run-rate to take the top spot. In the previous meeting between the two teams – the match was held at the same venue – Kings came out on top and recorded a comfortable 59-run victory.
One of the chief architects of that win was in-form batter B Sai Sudharsan, who is unavailable as the southpaw is representing South Zone in the ongoing Duleep Trophy. While the Shahrukh Khan-led Kovai will miss the services of Sai Sudharsan, Dindigul will be without its regular skipper Ravichandran Ashwin. With Ashwin on national duty in the West Indies, wicketkeeper-batter Baba Indrajith will lead the side.
In the Eliminator match in Salem on Saturday, Nellai Royal Kings and Siechem Madurai Panthers, which finished third and fourth respectively in the league stage, will take on each other.