THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Befitting the tagline ‘Aavesha Cricket, at its Best’, the Kerala Cricket League (KCL) Season 2 has witnessed scintillating performances, exemplifying the quality of cricket on offer in the state. And the stage is now set for the grand finale.
Table toppers Kochi Blue Tigers and defending champions Aries Kollam Sailors will fight it out in the final at Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram at 6.45pm on Sunday.
Organised by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), the event has seen both seasoned players and promising talents set the venue alight with sparkling knocks and spells.
Performing consistently throughout the season, Kochi progressed to the summit clash chiefly on back of their star batter Sanju Samson. However, Sanju will not be part of the final as he is on national duty — for the Asia Cup.
The team led by Sanju’s brother Saly Samson is eyeing the title, boosted by the form of opener Vinoop Manoharan, who stands fourth among the top run getters. They also have high hopes from their bowling unit, powered by the likes of K M Asif and Mohammed Ashiq.
On the other hand, Aries Kollam Sailors went through highs and lows this season. However, the team is well set for the final following a thumping win against Thrissur Titans in the semifinal. Led by their top run getter and skipper Sachin Baby, the team also features a strong bowling lineup of Pawan Raj, Vijay Vishwanath, and Ajayaghosh N S.
Women’s cricket league from next yr
Not just seasoned players, this edition also saw young talents shining. Ahammed Imran of Titans is second only to the top-scorer, Trivandrum Royals’ skipper Krishna Prasad, with one century and three half-centuries to his name.
Govind Dev Pai (Trivandrum), Ajayaghosh N S (Kollam), Mohammed Kaif (Alleppey Ripples), Mohammed Ashiq (Kochi), Ajinas K (Thrissur), and Krishna Devan (Calicut Globstars) are some of the other youngsters who, without much exposure in mainstream cricket, performed remarkably.
Though the footfall at the venue remained relatively low throughout the season, authorities are expecting a higher turnout on Sunday.
Taking a new leap, the KCA is planning to organise a women’s league from next year. Towards that, an exhibition match was held at the Greenfield Stadium on Saturday.