Tiruppur storms into TNPL final

DINDIGUL: IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans dominated Chepauk Super Gillies with both bat and ball, giving the latter no room to settle as they stormed into the final with a 79-run win in TNPL 2025.

Chasing a target of 202, skipper Baba Aparajith scored 30 runs, but the rest of the batting line-up faltered. Despite a promising start from opener Mokit Hariharan, who made 25, Chepauk failed to build any meaningful partnerships.

Earlier, Amith Sathvik rose to the occasion with his third fifty of the season to guide Tiruppur to their season’s best total against undefeated Chepauk Super Gillies.

In-form opener Sathvik took advantage of an early reprieve to hit 57 off 40 deliveries with six fours and two sixes, and shared in two half-century partnerships to provide Tiruppur with a solid start after being put in to bat first.

Super Gillies, the most decorated franchise with four titles, conceded their season’s highest powerplay total of 70/1 as Sathvik put on 56 off 29 balls for the opening wicket with pugnacious left-hander Tushar Raheja (28, 13b, 2x4, 3x6) and 65 off 43 balls for the next with the feisty skipper, left-hander Sai Kishore (33, 22b, 4x4, 1x6).

Sathvik fell in the 12th over, giving pacer Vijay Shankar the charge before pacer TD Lokesh Raj dismissed S Mohamed Ali and Sai Kishore in a single over to put the brakes on Tiruppur.

However, left-handers U Sasidev (57), who hit his first fifty of the season, and Pradosh Ranjan Paul (16 not out) powered the side toward the end with a fifth-wicket stand of 76 off 39 balls, including 70 in the last five overs.

Brief scores: iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 202/5 in 20 overs (Amith Sathvik 57, U Sasidev 57) beat Chepauk Super Gillies 123 in 16.1 overs (Esakkimuthu A 3/26, M Mathivannan 3/27)