TNPL 2024: Anirudh helps Tiruppur Tamizhans win its first match of TNPL 2024

CHENNAI:Tiruppur Tamizhans defeated Madurai Panthers by four wickets to win its first match of Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024 at SNR College Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Opting to bowl first, Tiruppur Tamizhans made immediate inroads by dismissing Madurai Panthers’ top three batters within the opening seven overs. Skipper Hari Nishaanth’s dismissal for 17 off 18 balls was a crucial breakthrough early on, followed by wickets of Suresh Lokeshwar and the debutant Ajay.

Madurai Panthers struggled to build partnerships and was reduced to 93/5 by the 15th over. However, a resilient effort from Sasidev, who smashed a blistering 41 off just 19 balls, provided the much-needed acceleration to its innings. Contributions from Swapnil Singh- 17* off 13 balls – helped Madurai reach a competitive total of 156/9 at the end of its innings.

In the absence of regular captain Vijay Shankar, Sai Kishore took charge of Tiruppur Tamizhans and rotated the bowlers effectively. All six bowlers contributed with at least one wicket each. Ajith Ram spearheaded the bowling attack with figures of 3/35 in his four overs, playing a pivotal role in restricting Madurai Panthers.

Facing a challenging chase of 157 to secure its first win of the season, Tiruppur Tamizhans had a rocky start as it lost Radhakrishnan and Tushar Raheja early in the powerplay. Amit Sathvik and Anirudh Sita Ram then steadied the innings with a 51-run partnership. Sathvik contributed 23 runs from just 13 balls, providing essential support to Anirudh, who played a pivotal role with a rapid 52 off 28 balls. Anirudh reached his fifty in a mere 25 balls, equalling the season’s fastest half-century. Madurai’s bowlers put up a resilient effort despite defending a modest total against Tiruppur. They maintained pressure by taking wickets at regular intervals, spearheaded by the experienced all-rounder Murugan Ashwin, who finished with four crucial dismissals, including Sathvik, Anirudh, and Sai Kishore. However, their fielders did not help the bowlers, leaking runs in the final stages of the match. In the end, Tiruppur held its nerve, particularly Mohamed Ali, to secure its first win of the season, ending its five-match losing streak in the TNPL.

Losing captain for the day, Madurai’s Hari Nishaanth said: “I would not say this was a good total at this venue. I felt 160+ would be a par here. The batters, including me, must step up to pull things off for the team. I will not blame the bowlers. They did well to keep us in the game. We had a similar start in the last season too but we came back.”

Brief scores: Madurai Panthers 156/9 in 20 overs (U Sasidev 41, Ajith Ram 3/35) lost to Tiruppur Tamizhans 157/6 in 18.2 overs (B Anirudh 52, M Ashwin 4/21)