TNPL 2021: Tight bowling hands a 19-run win to Kovai over Madurai

Madurai only managed to score 153 in its chase of 173 losing 8 wickets.

Madurai batsmen were never able to settle to chase what was not-so steep on this surface. The problem with Madurai was that their batsmen had starts but neither were able to convert it into a big match winning innings. Rajkumar's 15, Arun Karthik's 21, NS Chaturved's 39 and Jagatheesan Koushik's 29 were all the innings with a potential to bridge that 19-run deficit. This shows whenever there was a match-winning innings in the making, the adroit Kovai bowling kept resisting the threat.

R Divakar is the pick of the bowlers for Kovai as he just conceded 18 of his 4-over spell claiming 3 wickets.

Batting first, the Kovai Kings lost early wickets. Shahrukh Khan and Sai Sudharshan did the damage control with their well made fifties. Shahrukh's 58 off 30 came by five maximums and two boundaries while Sudharshan's 52-ball 61 was more of a meticulous gameplay. This helped in Kovai posting a decent 172 on the board.

The Madurai bowlers weren't much at fault, as other than the 10-run average of Kiran Akash all the bowlers were economical. 172 was a pretty much chaseable target at the Chepauk, a more disciplined Kovai bowling kept the Madurai team at bay from reaching it. 

Kovai is right on the top of the points table with its second win of this season and Madurai is on the seventh place. LKK will face Tirupur on 31st July and Madurai will lock horns with Nellai on the same day later in the evening.

LKK- 172/3 (20)

Sai Sudharshan - 61 (52 balls)

Aushik Srinivas - 20/0 (3 overs)

SMP - 153/8 (20)

NS Chaturved - 39 (26 balls)

R Divakar - 18/3 (4 overs)