TNPL 2026: Baba Indrajith's thunderous 73 shuts down Spartans

DINDIGUL: In a must-win encounter, Dindigul Dragons’ skipper Baba Indrajith did not disappoint one bit, as he smashed a 25-ball 73 to take his side to 239/6 in 15 overs against SKM Salem Spartans here on Friday.

Spartans opting to bowl first turned out to be the first step of its nightmare, as the Dragons tormented them in the clash. Openers, Shivam Singh and VK Vineeth, left no stone unturned as the former hit a 15-ball 38 while the latter smashed a 20-ball 45, with nine fours and six sixes between the two opening partners.

Krish was an anomaly in the batting unit, walking back to the hut for a first-ball duck. While that dismissal might have come as a respite for the Spartans, all those thoughts were quickly put to rest, as Vimal Khumar came out all guns blazing. The left-hander struck a handy 17-ball 35 to keep the momentum going for the Dragons.

But the night definitely belonged to the Dragons’ skipper Indrajith, who tormented the Spartans’ bowling unit in a rather brutal manner. Known for his red-ball skills, the right-hander’s innings was like a hammer to the Spartans’ head, as he hit eight sixes and three fours in his 25-ball 73 in Dindigul. Hunny Saini applied the finishing touches, with a 10-ball 29 to round the target to 240 in 15 overs.

As for the Spartans' run chase, the less said, the better. Skipper Abishiek, who walked out to open in the run chase, was the only one to show fight as he smacked an 18-ball 38, striking at 211.11. The experienced Hari Nishaanth scored just nine while the hard-hitting Vivek scored seven.

Even the young blood of Boopathi Kumar couldn’t do much damage, with a six-ball 14. Karthick Manikandan (16), Eshwar (18), Mohammed (19) and Poiyamozhi (13) all tried but it was in vain as the Spartans’ run chase never took off, leaving them without a win thus far in the tournament.

Brief Scores: Dindigul Dragons 239/6 in 15 overs (Indrajith 73, Vineeth 45, Shivam 38; Vivek 3/22) beats Salem Spartans 157/8 in 15 overs (Abishiek 38, Mohammed 19; Viju Arul 3/29) by 82 runs