CHENNAI: Karaikudi Kaalai lost to Lyca Kovai Kings by four wickets in the eliminator of the second edition of Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL). They will now face the Chepauk Super Gillies in the second qualifier, just one step away from final.
R Rohith’s 46-ball 102 was what ensured Kovai’s win against Kaalai, who had posted a mammoth target of 193/3. After skipper-cum-opener Murali Vijay started off the chase well with 34, it was Rohith who took away the match single-handedly.
With his ton — the fastest in the history of TNPL — Rohith joined Baba Aparajith, Washington Sundar and K Bharath Shankar as the fourth centurion of the tournament. Rohith’s match-winning knock was studded with six boundaries and eight aerial biffs beyond the rope. Spinner Mohan Prasath S was the only economical bowler for Karaikudi, picking two wickets and giving away just 18 runs in his quota of four overs.
Earlier, Srikkanth Anirudha’s 36-ball 79 that propelled Karaikudi. It was the partnership between Anirudha and V Aditya that set the pace of the first innings, where the former scored his last 51 in just 24 balls. Continuing at a 10-plus run rate, skipper Badrinath fired a quick 42 off 25 balls, including five fours and a six. Left-hander M Shajahan too did his bit for Karaikudi, chipping in with an unbeaten 23-ball 25 for his team. Kovai skipper Vijay was elated after the win, and heaped praise on Rohith. “It was fun to watch Rohith play.
To play proper cricketing shots and get runs is amazing. The wickets are really good and we have a strong batting line-up. So we are pretty good chasers. We have to carry the momentum.”
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Brief scores: Karaikudi Kaalai 193/3 in 20 ovs (S Aniruda 79, S Badrinath 42; Gowtham Thamarai Kannan 2/21) lost to Lyca Kovai Kings 194/6 in 20 ovs (Rohith R 102*, M Vijay 34; Mohan Prasath S 2/18).