Kaalai hopes to rise up against gutsy Veerans

Veerans was outplayed by Tuti Patriots in its first match as Patriots captain Kaushik Gandhi raced to a 66-ball century. The target of 192 proved too tall for Veerans which lost by 48 runs.

Sanjay Yadav’s effective left-arm spin and a quick-fire 33 by Subramania Siva in the chase will count as positives from the loss for VB Kanchi Veerans. It is a unit full of youngsters and will want to put up a better performance in this match.

Karaikudi Kaalai fared better in its tied game against Kovai Kings which it lost in the Super Over. Left-handed batsman Maan Bafna showed great promise in his 44. It was the case of the rub of the green for Kaalai which fielded and bowled well. It kept the pressure on the Kovai Kings batsmen and eventually managed to take the match to the Super Over. 

Kaalai coach S Badrinath said his team had to pull up its socks in all three facets of the game if it is to advance further. "We need to step up a little in all three departments. We made a few mistakes in our last match and want to iron them out."

According to Badrinath, the standout feature in this edition's TNPL has been the overall improvement in fielding. "We are witnessing international standard this year, the catch taken by Shahrukh Khan in the match against us was one of the best I have ever seen. The overall conditions and grounds have improved remarkably too," the 37-year-old pointed out.