Cricket

Trichy Grand Cholas emerged victorious in the third leg of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, defeating Nellai Royal Kings by four wickets at the India Cements ground in Trichy. Chasing a target of 178, the Cholas relied on crucial contributions from Jaffer Jamal (39 runs) and Shyam Sundar (31 runs) to secure the win.Nellai Royal Kings, led by skipper K.B. Arun Karthik, posted a competitive 177 for nine after being put in to bat. Karthik played a pivotal role, scoring a regal 84 runs off 51 deliveries, including 10 boundaries and two sixes. He formed crucial partnerships with Nidhish Rajagopal (38 runs) and Rithik Easwaran (48 runs) to propel the team's total.However, the Trichy Grand Cholas bowlers, led by P. Saravanakumar, kept the Royal Kings in check. Saravanakumar claimed an impressive four wickets for 34 runs, including the prized scalp of Karthik in the 19th over. Athisayaraj Davidson also chipped in with two wickets for 37 runs.In the chase, the Cholas got off to a shaky start, losing opener R.S. Mokit Hariharan in the second over and G. Ajitesh in the third. However, Jamal and Sundar steadied the innings with a 51-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Jamal's aggressive 27-ball knock included three sixes, while Sundar's 25-ball innings featured three boundaries.Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, the Cholas kept their composure and chased down the target with 19.3 overs to spare. R. Rajkumar contributed a valuable 31 runs, while Antony Dhas and Saravanakumar played cameos to guide the team to victory.The win propelled the Trichy Grand Cholas to second place in the points table, while the Nellai Royal Kings remained in the bottom half of the standings.

The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) kicked off its eighth season with a thrilling encounter at the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground. Nellai Royal Kings emerged victorious in a nail-biting finish, defeating SKM Salem Spartans by three wickets.Chasing a modest target of 142, Nellai Royal Kings displayed an aggressive approach. G. Ajitesh (45) played a crucial role, hitting six fours and a six. However, the Spartans' Yazh Arun Mozhi (3/17) dismissed Ajitesh and Nidhish Rajagopal, putting the Royal Kings under pressure.With wickets falling at one end, Impact Player L. Suryapprakash (43*) stepped up to the plate. His sensible batting guided the Nellai side to victory with seven balls to spare.Earlier, the Spartans struggled against the impressive bowling of Sonu Yadav (5/30). Yadav's five-wicket haul restricted the Spartans to a mere 141 runs. B. Emmanuel Cherian and R. Silambarasan also contributed with two wickets each.

In a thrilling encounter at the Salem Cricket Foundation ground, Nellai Royal Kings emerged victorious over Chepauk Super Gillies in the eighth edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). With just three wickets and a ball to spare, Nellai Royal Kings chased down a challenging target of 167, thanks to a valiant effort from left-hander Nidhish Rajagopal.Rajagopal's unbeaten 53 off 35 deliveries proved to be the match-winner. His innings included three fours and three sixes, with the final over proving to be a nail-biting affair. Aswin Crist, the Chepauk Super Gillies medium-pacer, bowled a series of slower balls, but Rajagopal dispatched them with ease, hitting a straight four, two sixes, and a four to seal the victory.Nellai Royal Kings' chase was set up by opener Mokit Hariharan's 52 off 38 balls, which included five fours and a six. G. Ajitesh also contributed with a quickfire 30 off 14 deliveries, including four fours and a six.Earlier, Chepauk Super Gillies had posted a competitive 166 for six, thanks to opener N. Jagadeesan's unbeaten 63 off 46 balls. Jagadeesan, known for his aggressive batting, played a more measured innings, hitting three fours and three sixes.In the second match of the day, Lyca Kovai Kings defeated iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans by a narrow margin of one run. M. Shahrukh Khan was the star for Kovai Kings, scoring a blistering 55 off 32 balls, including four fours and four sixes.Tushar Raheja's adhesive knock of 81 off 57 balls held Tiruppur Tamizhans' innings together, but his dismissal in the penultimate over proved costly. With six runs needed off four balls, Raheja holed out to long off, leaving Ajith Ram to face the final delivery. Ram edged the ball to third man for a four, but missed the last ball and set off for a single, only to be run out by the keeper.