Skipper Abhinav Mukund’s unbeaten 70 powered Lyca Kovai Kings to an eight-wicket win over VB Kanchi Veerans in the Sankar Cement-TNPL at the NPR College grounds in Natham on Sunday.
Put in, Veerans suffered a double jolt losing openers U. Mukilesh and K. Vishal Vaidhya with just one run on the board. Seamers K. Vignesh and T. Natarajan did the damage.
Skipper B. Aparajith, who walked in at No. 4, struck a couple of delightful boundaries to ease the pressure. With S. Lokeshwar (51, 41b, 2x4, 3x6) joining the party — he even hit a six off Vignesh — the duo scripted a recovery through their 62-run partnership off 54 balls. They rotated the strike and hit boundaries at regular intervals to keep the scoreboard ticking.
After leg-spinner S. Manigandan dismissed Aparajith, Lokeshwar and R. Sanjay Yadav (31, 23b, 1x4, 2x6) sustained the momentum, adding 51 for the fourth wicket to take the score past 100. Manigandan once again provided the breakthrough, removing Sanjay in the 17th over with the score on 114. Lokeshwar fell to Natarajan in the next over.
Rokins’ cameo
However, a cameo by P. Francis Rokins (25, 7b, 1x4, 3x6), who was dropped on 13, helped Veerans post 150. Rokins smashed Manigandan for 24 runs in the 19th over.
In reply, Kings raced to 79 for no loss in the PowerPlay overs. There was hardly a moment when the Kovai side was under pressure as its openers M. Shahrukh Khan (40, 21b, 5x4, 2x6) and Abhinav Mukund (70 not out, 44b, 12x4) scored at a brisk pace.
Veerans managed to break the 84-run stand, removing Shahrukh in the seventh over. But Abhinav, who reached his half-century off just 28 balls, steered the team to a comfortable win.
The scores:
VB Kanchi Veerans 150 for six in 20 overs (S. Lokeshwar 51, B. Aparajith 29, R. Sanjay Yadav 31, P. Francis Rokins 25, T. Natarajan two for 21, S. Manigandan three for 40) lost to Lyca Kovai Kings 151 for two in 15.2 overs (M. Shahrukh Khan 40, Abhinav Mukund 70 n.o., R. Suthesh two for 41)
Monday’s match (at Tirunelveli): Dindigul Dragons vs Siechem Madurai Panthers (7.15 p.m.) .
