TIRUNELVELI: It is not easy to lead the team and still maintain own form. The third edition of the TNPL has been a mixed bag for captains. Leading in competition for the first time, the likes Srikkanth Anirudha, Kaushik Gandhi and N Jagadeesan have been impressive with the bat and guided their teams to success.
Leading in the absence of S Badrinath, iDream Karaikudi Kaalai’s Anirudha — more experienced than other two — has had a feast this time.
Scoring at a strike rate of 158.29, he has notched up 334 runs in seven innings. Not only is he the leading run-getter in the tournament, he has failed to reach 40 just twice. One was a 27 off 26 in a defeat against Lyca Kovai Kings in their first match in the one-over eliminator. Another was on Sunday against Jones Tuti Patriots, where he failed to read R Sai Kishore’s spin fell for 28 in Tirunelveli. This also led to a defeat.
Playing since 2004 — he made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu at the age of 16 — and having IPL experience with Chennai Super Kings and SunRisers Hyderabad, Anirudha has used all his experience while captaining the side. An aggressive opening batsman, he has shown the ability to tune his innings according to the situation and conditions.
There were two such innings which stood out this season. One, where he scored an unbeaten 93 against VB Kanchi Veerans at MA Chidambaram Stadium. He utilised the fast outfield and single-handedly chased down a target of 146 in 16.3 overs. Another came against Siechem Madurai Panthers in Dindigul. With the NPR College ground receiving showers an hour before the match, the pitch was on the slower side. His 48 off 43 that day showed his adaptability which helped the team post at least a moderate total of 158. Though the team lost, his innings was one to remember.
srinidhi.pr@newindianexpress.com
Brief scores: VB Kanchi Veerans 136/8 in 20 ovs (Rokins 43 n.o; Vignesh 2/25, Sonu 2/26) lost to Ruby Trichy Warriors 139/4 in 17.4 ovs (Bharath 69; Aushik 2/30, Shriram 2/20). iDream Karaikudi Kaalai 164/6 in 20 ovs (Srinivasan 46 n.o, Aaditya 37; Athisayaraj 2/35) lost to Jones Tuti Patriots 165/6 in 19.2 ovs (Sathish 57, Swaminathan 3/22).
Qualifier 1: Aug 7: Dindigul vs Madurai (Tirunelveli)
Eliminator: Aug 8: Kovai vs Karaikudi (Dindigul)