TNPL 2026: Trichy Grand Cholas knock Chepauk Super Gillies out of playoffs

CHENNAI: Shyam Sundar and Sanjay Yadav struck half-centuries before Easwaran claimed two crucial wickets as Trichy Grand Cholas knocked Chepauk Super Gillies out of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2026 playoffs with a 14-run win on Friday.

Chepauk struggled early in the chase, losing openers Mokit Hariharan (2) and Jagadeesan (16) cheaply. But Aashiq kept the Super Gillies in the contest with an attacking half-century, finding gaps and clearing the boundary with ease.

The left-hander particularly took on Antony Dhas, smashing 22 runs off seven balls against the veteran, while also taking on Easwaran for a seven-ball 15. At the other end, Ram Arvindh continued his good form with a 23-ball 32.

The pair took Chepauk to 96/2 after 10 overs, keeping them firmly in the chase, before adding another 18 runs in the next two overs.

However, left-arm spinner Selvakumaran applied the brakes by dismissing Arvindh. Two overs later, experienced campaigner Sanjay Yadav removed the well-set Aashiq, who departed for a 41-ball 75.

Aashiq’s innings had given Chepauk a genuine chance of pulling off the chase, but with the lower order unable to finish the job, the Super Gillies fell 14 runs short.

The defeat leaves Chepauk with six points from seven games and ends their hopes of reaching the TNPL 2026 playoffs.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Trichy suffered an early blow when Rajkumar was dismissed for a four-ball one. Skipper Suresh Kumar looked composed, but Swapnil Singh struck for his second wicket of the night to keep Chepauk on top.

Shyam Sundar then put together a 38-run partnership with Kousik before left-arm spinner Silambarasan trapped the latter LBW for a 14-ball 20.

Shyam and Sanjay Yadav then changed the momentum, adding 50 runs off just 33 balls. The younger of the two batters brought up his half-century from 35 balls with a no-look six, while Sanjay continued to find the boundary as Trichy accelerated.

With the lower order adding the finishing touches, Sanjay’s half-century helped Trichy Grand Cholas cross 190 and set Chepauk a challenging target.

Brief Scores: Trichy Grand Cholas 191/7 in 20 overs (Sanjay 54, Shyam 52; Silambarasan 3/43) beat Chepauk Super Gillies 177/6 in 20 overs (Aashiq 75, Ram Arvindh 32; Easwaran 2/28) by 14 runs.