Cricket

Tamil Nadu's rising star, Shahrukh Khan, has been entrusted with the captaincy of the state's Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament team. The 29-year-old, who has led Lyca Kovai Kings to success in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, expressed his honor and excitement at the opportunity."It's my first time as a captain for Tamil Nadu. I have led in TNPL for several years, but now (I am leading) Tamil Nadu, it is a new thing for me. Obviously, captaining a State team is a privilege," Shahrukh told The Hindu after Tamil Nadu's innings win over Railways in a Ranji Trophy match.Shahrukh emphasized that he is taking the challenge one step at a time, as the domestic red-ball season transitions to white-ball fixtures until late January. He acknowledged that he has not yet given much thought to specific strategies, preferring to focus on the present moment."I haven't thought about anything because the tournament starts in a week's time (November 23). So, I'll start thinking soon about what to do. I don't give anything too much thought. I just think at the right place and at the right time... that is more important," Shahrukh added.Shahrukh's appointment as captain is a testament to his leadership abilities and his impressive performances in domestic cricket. As the tournament approaches, he will be eager to guide Tamil Nadu to success and further enhance his reputation as one of the most promising young players in the country.

Rahul Dravid, the former head coach of Team India, recently attended the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2024 final between Lyca Kovai Kings and Dindigul Dragons at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Dravid, who guided India to a historic T20 World Cup triumph in 2023, was warmly welcomed by the crowd and shared his fond memories of playing at Chepauk.In an interview with a presenter, Dravid expressed his delight at being back at the ground where he had achieved several milestones in his illustrious career. He recalled playing league cricket with friends, scoring his 10,000th Test run, and winning a World Cup match against Australia at Chepauk.Dravid also spoke about his association with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and the impact of playing league cricket in Chennai on his development as a cricketer. He praised the TNPL for providing opportunities to young players and creating a platform for them to showcase their talent."These leagues like TNPL, KPL, have been terrific as they provide a lot of great opportunities to so many young people," Dravid said. "Look at this kind of crowd, for these young boys to be able to play in front of this crowd I think it's just phenomenal and it really gives them a great boost."Dravid also acknowledged the contributions of veteran players like Ravichandran Ashwin, who led the Dindigul Dragons to victory in the TNPL final. He praised Ashwin for his continued excellence and his ability to inspire young players.Dravid's presence at the TNPL final underlined his commitment to the development of cricket in India. His insights and encouragement will undoubtedly motivate the young players who aspire to follow in his footsteps.

Dindigul Dragons Triumph in TNPL Final, Led by Ashwin's HeroicsIn a thrilling climax to the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), Dindigul Dragons emerged victorious, claiming their maiden title with a six-wicket triumph over defending champions Lyca Kovai Kings. The final, held in Chennai on Sunday, witnessed a captivating display of skill and determination.Dindigul Dragons, chasing a modest target of 130 runs, relied on the steady hand of their captain, Ravichandran Ashwin. The all-rounder played a pivotal role, scoring a crucial 52 runs off 46 deliveries, including a four and three towering sixes. His partnership with Baba Indrajith, who contributed 32 runs off 35 balls, proved decisive in the team's victory.The Dragons' middle-order batsmen, guided by the calm and composed Ashwin, successfully chased down the target with 10 balls remaining. They scored 46 runs for the loss of two wickets during the powerplay, setting the tone for their eventual triumph.The Lyca bowlers, despite their best efforts, could only manage to pick up one wicket each during the innings. Gowtham Thamarai Kannan, Manimaran Siddharth, Valliappan Yudheeswaran, and Shahrukh each claimed a scalp, but it was not enough to prevent Dindigul's march to victory.Earlier, Dindigul's bowlers had kept the Lyca batters in check, taking wickets at regular intervals. Sandeep Warrier made the first breakthrough, dismissing Suresh Kumar in the third over. Varun Chakravarthy then struck twice in the sixth over, followed by P Vignesh dismissing Sai Sudharsan.Atheeq Ur Rahman and Ram Arvindh attempted to stage a comeback for the defending champions, forming a partnership of 36 runs for the fifth wicket. However, their efforts were thwarted when Subodh Bhati dismissed Rahman. Vignesh then added to Lyca's troubles by dismissing skipper Shahrukh Khan.Struggling at 105/6, Arvindh couldn't stay at the crease either, giving a catch to Sandeep Warrier. Cameos from the tail-enders pushed the score to 129/7, but it was not enough to challenge Dindigul's dominance.Ashwin finished with figures of 0/13 for Dindigul, while Vignesh (2/15) and Chakravarthy (2/26) were the standout performers.

At 37, R Ashwin is expanding his batting range in his first full Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) season. Known for his boundary-hitting prowess down the ground, Ashwin has been working on playing boundary shots square of the wicket, a strategy that has paid off.In Qualifier 2 against Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans, Ashwin dismantled left-arm fingerspinners R Sai Kishore and S Ajith Ram with reverse-sweeps, scoring 28 off nine balls. Overall, he has amassed 200 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 166.66, with five innings coming at the top or No. 3 for Dindigul Dragons."Everything is work in progress," Ashwin said. "I felt like I needed to widen my game square of the wicket because I know I can hit the ball down the ground. I wanted to explore other options to keep myself interested in the game."Dindigul's rookie left-arm fingerspinner P Vignesh, who missed the Under-19 World Cup cut for India, has impressed with his accuracy and control. In Qualifier 2, he claimed 3 for 8 and the Player-of-the-Match award.Ashwin urged the next generation of cricketers to embrace failures and improve their skills. "Missing the Under-19 cut is not the end of the world," he said. "Failure and success are normal, and people become better only through failures. I hope they're ready to expand their game and find answers to the questions that are going to be asked."Meanwhile, Shahrukh Khan of Lyca Kovai Kings has been working on a technical tweak to improve his game against spin. He has been using a trigger movement where he pushes his weight forward, which has helped him score off both the front and back foot.Shahrukh's overall strike rate against pace in the IPL is 161.11, but it falls to 112 against spin. However, in IPL 2024, he managed to lift his strike rate against spin to 168.75.Despite losing to Dindigul in the league phase, Shahrukh is confident his team can put together their "best cricket" in the final. "We're taking it as just another game," he said. "We still haven't played our best cricket this year, and we will try and do that."

Dindigul Dragons emerged victorious in the Qualifier 2 of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, defeating iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans by a commanding nine wickets at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. The triumph propelled the Dragons into the final, where they will face the winner of Qualifier 1.Left-arm spinner P. Vignesh played a pivotal role in the Dragons' victory, claiming impressive figures of 4-0-8-3. His accurate bowling restricted the Tamizhans to a modest total of 108 runs in 19.4 overs. Varun Chakravarthy also contributed with two wickets, conceding only 17 runs in his four overs.Skipper R. Ashwin's blistering knock of 69 not out off just 30 deliveries proved to be the catalyst for the Dragons' chase. Ashwin, known for his aggressive batting style, smashed 11 boundaries and three sixes, dismantling the Tiruppur bowlers with ease. Vimal Khumar provided valuable support with a 28-run contribution.The Dragons reached the target in a mere 10.5 overs, with Ashwin and Khumar putting on an unbeaten 112-run partnership for the first wicket. Ashwin's half-century came off just 23 deliveries, highlighting his exceptional batting prowess.Earlier, Ashwin's decision to bowl first after winning the toss proved to be a wise move. He dismissed in-form opener Tushar Raheja cheaply, setting the tone for the Tamizhans' batting struggles. The Tiruppur batters were unable to build substantial partnerships, with only S. Ganesh and Maan K. Bafna managing a 42-run stand for the sixth wicket.The Dragons' fielding was equally impressive, with Ashwin taking a stunning catch at mid-on to dismiss Amit Sathvik. The team's spirited effort and disciplined bowling ultimately led to the Tamizhans' downfall.

Spectator's Unprecedented Act: Refusing to Return Match Ball in Tamil Nadu Premier LeagueIn a bizarre incident that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world, a spectator at the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match between Chepauk Super Gillies and Siechem Madurai Panthers refused to return a match ball that had landed outside the stadium.The incident occurred during the match held at the NPR College Ground in Dindigul on Sunday. A Siechem Madurai Panthers pacer bowled a delivery that was dispatched over the mid-wicket fence by a Chepauk Super Gillies batter. The ball soared out of the stadium, landing in the hands of a local man wearing a lungi and T-shirt.To the astonishment of everyone present, the man refused to throw the ball back into the ground. Instead, he expressed his anger towards the players, as if to say that he had had enough of the ball coming to him. He then nonchalantly walked away with the ball, still shouting angrily towards the ground.The incident was captured on camera by Star Sports Tamil and has since gone viral on social media. The footage shows the man later relaxing on a 'charpoy' as if nothing had happened.The match continued without the ball, and Siechem Madurai Panthers eventually emerged victorious by 9 runs. However, the incident has raised questions about the safety and security of players and spectators at sporting events.It is unclear why the man refused to return the ball. Some speculate that he may have been frustrated by the constant interruptions caused by balls landing outside the stadium. Others suggest that he may have been trying to make a statement about the lack of facilities at the ground.Whatever the reason, the man's actions have been widely condemned by the cricketing community. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar called the incident "unacceptable" and said that it "brought shame to the game."The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has launched an investigation into the incident and has promised to take appropriate action against the man. The association has also appealed to spectators to cooperate with players and officials to ensure the smooth running of matches.

Ravichandran Ashwin, a staunch advocate of running out non-strikers, recently found himself on the receiving end of a warning for backing up too far. The incident occurred during a Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match between his team, Dindigul Dragons, and Nellai Royal Kings.In the 15th over, left-arm spinner Mohan Prasath halted his run-up after noticing Ashwin out of his crease. Replays revealed that while Ashwin was prematurely walking down the crease, his bat slipped out of the popping crease when Prasath stopped.This incident sparked debates on social media. Some criticized Ashwin for experiencing the consequences of his own actions, while others argued that the warning was unwarranted as he gained no unfair advantage.Ashwin himself took to Twitter to clarify the situation, posting a screenshot of the relevant law (38.3) which states that a non-striker is only liable to be run out when the ball is in play and the bowler is expected to release it. In this case, Ashwin would not have been out even if Prasath had dislodged the bails."Cos they don't know the rule," Ashwin tweeted in response to criticism that commentators failed to highlight this fact.Meanwhile, Ashwin is currently not part of the Indian team for the ongoing white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. He is expected to return for the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh.In other news, India secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka with a seven-wicket victory in the rain-affected second match. The third and final T20I will be played on Tuesday in Pallekele, followed by a three-match ODI series.

In the eighth season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), Siechem Madurai Panthers emerged victorious over Chepauk Super Gillies by a margin of nine runs at the N.P.R. College cricket ground. The Panthers' triumph denied the Gillies a chance to finish second on the points table and qualify for the playoffs.Lokeshwar, the Panthers' opener, set the tone for the match with a blistering 55 runs off 40 deliveries, including two fours and five sixes. His aggressive batting in the PowerPlay overs, particularly against left-arm spinner Rahil Shah, proved crucial.J. Kousik, batting at number four, played a vital role in the Panthers' innings, scoring an unbeaten 43 runs off 24 balls. His two sixes in the penultimate over helped boost the team's total to 191 for four.In response, Chepauk Super Gillies' Pradosh Ranjan Paul kept his team in the hunt with a well-paced 52 runs off 37 deliveries. He was involved in a 78-run third-wicket partnership with opener D. Santhosh Kumar (48).However, the Panthers' bowlers tightened their grip in the latter stages of the chase. Two wickets fell in three balls, with Arun Karthick being dismissed leg before and Nidhish Rajagopal being caught at cover.R. Ashwin, the former India off-spinner, played a key role in the Panthers' victory, claiming two wickets for 23 runs. His dismissal of Rithik Easwaran with a quicker delivery proved to be a turning point.In the second match of the day, Shivam Singh's 59-ball 70 helped Dindigul Dragons post 136 runs. Nellai Royal Kings, in pursuit of the target, were led by Arun Karthick's 45 runs and G. Ajitesh's unbeaten 43.However, the Dragons' spinners, led by P. Vignesh and R. Ashwin, pegged Nellai back. Vignesh dismissed Arun Karthick leg before, while Ashwin claimed two wickets, including that of Ajitesh.Nellai Royal Kings eventually fell short by four wickets, with Varun Chakaravarthy claiming two wickets for 15 runs. The loss also ended Dindigul Dragons' hopes of finishing second on the points table and qualifying for the playoffs.

Shivam Singh's whirlwind century (106 not out off 57 balls) propelled Dindigul Dragons to a commanding 30-run victory over Siechem Madurai Panthers in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). The triumph secured Dragons' berth in the playoffs, while Panthers' hopes were dashed.Singh's innings was a masterclass in power-hitting, particularly against the spinners. Seven of his 10 sixes came off the tweakers. He began cautiously, but a miscued slog sweep off M. Ashwin in the ninth over seemed to ignite his aggression.Undeterred, Singh launched the next delivery for a maximum over deep mid-wicket. From there, his innings exploded like a rocket. He hooked Ajay Krishnan for a six over deep fine-leg, followed by a gorgeous inside-out shot for another maximum over deep cover.In the 15th over, Singh unleashed a barrage of three consecutive sixes off V.S. Karthick Manikandan, two over deep midwicket and one behind deep square-leg. His fifty came off just 29 balls, a testament to his blistering pace.In the chase, only S. Lokeshwar threatened Dragons with a 37-ball 55 (3x4, 4x6). However, the Panthers' batting lineup failed to keep up with the required run rate, falling short by 30 runs.