LKK VS TGC T20

Alright then, that’s it from this clash. Shahrukh Khan has marshaled his troops successfully and the Lyca Kovai Kings have registered their 11th straight win on the trot now. They remain as the table toppers with four wins and not even a single blemish. As for the Grand Cholas, they would want to go back to the drawing board and assess where things went wrong for them. But worry not, it’s a long tournament and the cricketing action will continue in the Tamil Nadu Premier League, 2024. Up next is another spectacular clash between two star-studded units. IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans will go tooth and nail against Ravichandran Ashwin’s Dindigul Dragons in Match 16 at the same venue. Both teams are hovering at the bottom half of the table and are aiming to turn their fortunes by gaining momentum. That game will be played in Coimbatore on July 17th, Wednesday, and the first ball will be bowled at 7.15 pm IST (1345 pm GMT). Till then, take care, and ADIOS!

Shahrukh Khan, the captain of Lyca Kovai Kings is also adjudged the Player of the Match for his phenomenal bowling performance (4-0-13-3). He says once he started leading the side, he felt the need for a spinner against the left-handers so he started rolling his arm again. He adds that he tries to make decisions instinctively and that it is going well at this point. Says it feels great to win 11 on the trot and that they have maintained their winning combination. Adds that he is delighted to see how the boys are responding to the roles given to them. Further, he says that the management is backing him a lot too. Says as a captain he couldn't have asked for more.

Antony Dhas, the captain of Trichy Grand Cholas says that Sanjay Yadav and Jafar Jamal played well and the wicket was a bit on the slower side with all the rain around and eventually they were 15-20 runs short. Adds that the top-order batters had an important role to play and they couldn't get going. Mentions that they have a great bowling unit but are missing a couple of guys and still, it was a great effort in the field from the boys.

The presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the game, the Grand Cholas didn't get off to a desired start. Also, the ball was doing a bit of mischief early on and it was a bit sticky out there as well. Hence, the batters weren't able to time the ball to perfection. Waseem Ahmed tried to turn things around with some big hits, showing some fight against the difficult conditions. Just when the Grand Cholas were hoping to build some momentum, the spinners took charge and squeezed them up for runs. Shahrukh Khan bowled with pinpoint accuracy and clever variations. He snared three crucial wickets, ripping through the Grand Cholas' middle order and leaving their innings in disarray. Just when it seemed all hope was lost for the Grand Cholas, Sanjay Yadav and Jafar Jamal stepped up to the plate. Coming in clutch during the latter stages of the innings, this duo injected some much-needed energy into the faltering performance. But they were still way behind posting a challenging total.

In the pursuit to defend almost a run ball total, on a track that troubled the batters for most of the part, the Grand Cholas had a perfect start. Their secret weapon, impact player V Athisayaraj Davidson, made an immediate impression. In a stunning first over, Davidson struck twice, sending two Kovai Kings batters back to the pavilion and injecting a surge of hope into the Grand Cholas' camp. However, their early success was short-lived and they couldn't pick any wickets further in their defence. The Kovai Kings quickly regrouped and launched a counterattack, putting the pressure back on the bowling side. Despite the initial breakthroughs, the Trichy Grand Cholas were constantly aware of their vulnerability. With a below-par total to defend, they were always walking a tightrope, knowing that even a small batting partnership could swiftly turn the tide against them.

Chasing a below-par total, the Kovai Kings too, had a very rough start as they lost two men including Sai Sudharsan right into the chase. However, cricket's unpredictable nature soon came to the fore. S Sujay and U Mukilesh strode to the crease, tasked with steadying the Kovai Kings' ship. Refusing to be cowed by the challenging conditions, they began to counterattack. With a series of cracking strokes, they not only stabilized the innings but also started to wrest back control of the game. Relying on the basics, the two played smart cricket, rotated the strike, converted ones into twos, and punished any poor delivery that came their way. They didn't allow any bowler to get the better of them and played risk-free cricket through and through notching up a centurion partnership, both staying unbeaten.

Lyca Kovai Kings continue their reign of dominance, showcasing why they're the team to beat. With an impressive streak of 11 consecutive victories, the defending champions proved once again that they're not ready to relinquish their crown. A comfortable victory for Shahrukh Khan and Co., and they maintain a clean sheet. Also, this win will definitely inflate their NRR to a huge extent.

FOUR! That's it, Lyca Kovai Kings have sealed the win and what a lovely shot to do it as well. This is bowled full and wide outside off, S Sujay plants his front keg across and creams the drive through the gap at covers to pick up a boundary. Sujay remains unbeaten on 48 and LKK win by 8 wickets to make it four wins out of four and 11 wins on the trot if we count the previous season as well.

FOUR! U Mukilesh is in a real hurry here and 12 runs come off the over, LKK only need 4 more runs for the win. Looks to go full and wide but Mukilesh comes down the pitch, makes a bit of room and converts it into a full toss before hammering it over covers for a boundary.

Half an appeal for LBW but there seemed to be an inside edge on it. Full on middle and angling it well into the left-hander, S Sujay looks to flick but gets an inside edge as the ball thuds into the pads and rolls to the off side. They pick up a single.

Comes from around the stumps, takes some pace off and bowls it back of a length angling it across off and middle. U Mukilesh hops and nudges it down through backward point for one.

SIX! Now, that's more like it from U Mukilesh and what a shot this is! Back of a length and outside off, Mukilesh is practically on the back foot when he generates enough power and slaps the ball up and over mid off. The ball hits the boundary cushion on the full and it will be a six.

Trying a bit too much here now U Mukilesh. Shorter in length again and around off stump, U Mukilesh comes down the pitch and swings across the line but is beaten again.

A bit of aggression from Antony Dhas as he dishes out a quick bumper right at the face of the batter. U Mukilesh tries to get inside the line and hook it towards fine leg but is well beaten.

Slightly overpitched outside off, S Sujay miscues his drive to the leg side.