DINDIGUL: Before the start of this TNPL season, Siechem Madurai Panthers veteran KB Arun Karthik had singled out X Thalaivan Sargunam for the “firepower” he brought with his blade. Apart from having been a mainstay of defending champions Chepauk Super Gillies over the last two seasons, the 33-year-old is also one among the three batsmen to notch up a triple ton in Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) First Division league.
That, and a small-but-significant bit of IPL experience, turning out for SunRisers Hyderabad five years ago in one match, against Chennai Super Kings. With this kind of a CV, it wasn’t surprising to see Madurai place their faith in Sargunam.
That has happened for them over the past fortnight. But with Karthik once again shouldering most of their batting burden (their top-scorer with 141 runs), Sargunam didn’t really get a chance to display his firepower. Not until Wednesday evening, that is. For the first time this season, Karthik was walking back to the dugout, with a single-digit score. Only two balls had been bowled by VB Kanchi Veerans.
The swathe of blue — Madurai’s colours — occupying a couple of galleries at Natham was silent as Sargunam walked in, swishing his bat around. He had a lot of work to do. Sargunam’s attachment to Chris Gayle — his idol — runs a lot deeper than the “333” emblazoned on the back of his jersey. Apart from mirroring the Jamaican’s languid, minimal-footwork brand of aggression, Sargunam also belongs to the “take many a sighter, collect the occasional boundary, and then go berserk” mould.
Apart from smashing one of the biggest sixes of this season, and a cheeky shuffle-scoop for a four, Sargunam was at his subdued best in the powerplay, relying on ones and twos. Madurai had restored normalcy by the end of it (45/1). And then it began, right off the first ball of the seventh over. A half-tracker from Mokit Hariharan was murdered over backward square leg. That shot sparked the only refrain that was to come from the throats of Madurai fans present at the venue, for the rest of his innings: “We want six. We want six”.
Sargunam made the audience’s wish come true. Surviving courtesy two pieces of sloppy catching, he peppered nearly each over with one monstrosity of a hit. Even as their skipper Rohit D departed at the end of the 11th over, Madurai had raced to 93/2.
Sargunam was finally snared by R Aushik Srinivas in 14th over, having belted seven sixes — and only a single four — in his 40-ball 62. Even though his dismissal helped Kanchi’s bowlers find their bearings — barring the first three overs, they dished out many a half-tracker and in-the-arc offerings — but brief spurts of NOS from J Kousik and Abhishek Tanwar ensured that Madurai ended their day with 167/8.
With Madurai’s bowling unit — Varun Chakravathi and L Kiran Akash — being at its efficient best, Kanchi fell 11 short. Another man had delivered, and Madurai climbed to second. Once wooden-spooners, they are now looking like title contenders.
Brief scores: Siechem Madurai Panthers 167/8 in 20 ovs (X Thalaivan Sargunam 62, Rohit D 32; R Divakar 3/25, K Deeban Lingesh 3/29) bt VB Kanchi Veerans 156/6 in 20 ovs (Sanjay Yadav 34 n.o; J Kousik 2/31).