CHENNAI: Pacer P Bhuvaneswaran delivered a match-winning performance as iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans opened its account in the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2023 with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Nellai Royal Kings in Dindigul on Tuesday.
Invited to bat first at the NPR College Ground, Nellai was bowled out for a paltry 124 in the 19th over, courtesy of Bhuvaneswaran’s (5/17 off 3.2 overs) five-wicket haul. In the chase, Tiruppur reached its target with 10 balls to spare, thanks to opener Tushar Raheja’s 43-ball 49, a knock that included four fours and three maximums.
Tamizhans, which had lost its first two matches of the season, is sixth with two points while Royal Kings suffered its first defeat and is fourth with four points.
Chasing a modest 125, Tiruppur was off to a fine start as Raheja and S Radhakrishnan (34 off 30 balls, 5 fours) stitched 73 invaluable runs for the first-wicket alliance. Raheja provided impetus to the innings in the third over, when he smashed experienced pacer Sandeep Warrier (0/48 off 4 overs) for three sixes and a four.
After both openers saw their stumps castle, big-hitter R Vivek struck a quick-fire 21 (13 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) to take Tamizhans close to the finish line.
Earlier, Bhuvaneswaran dismissed three of the top-four batters – Sri Neranjan (13), L Suryapprakash (10) and captain KB Arun Karthick (4) – to leave Nellai struggling at 30 for three in the fourth over. Sri Neranjan found R Sai Kishore at mid-wicket, Suryapprakash was caught in the slip cordon and Arun Karthick inside-edged a delivery onto the stumps.
Bhuvaneswaran also accounted for the in-form G Ajitesh (20 off 14 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) and Warrier (0) – both in the 19th over – to complete his five-wicket haul.
He received great support from slinger G Periyaswamy (2/9 off 3 overs) and left-arm spinner Sai Kishore (1/25 off 4 overs) as Tiruppur dominated the essay from start to finish.
Commenting on Tiruppur’s maiden victory, Raheja, in a post-match interaction, said: “I think that we have a great team. The first two matches did not go our way, but we knew that we could do it today (Tuesday). We just take one match at a time, momentum is important. We cannot think too far ahead at the moment.”
BRIEF SCORES: Nellai Royal Kings 124 in 18.2 overs (Sonu Yadav 35, P Bhuvaneswaran 5/17, G Periyaswamy 2/9) lost to iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 128/3 in 18.2 overs (Tushar Raheja 49, S Radhakrishnan 34, Sonu Yadav 2/23)