Dindigul Dragons Triumph in TNPL Final, Led by Ashwin’s Heroics
In 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.
