iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans moved to the top of the TNPL-10 table with a four-wicket win over Madurai Panthers at the MAC Stadium on Thursday. Chasing 158, Tamizhans reached 160 for six in 17.4 overs, with Tushar Raheja giving them a rapid start and Pradosh Ranjan Paul finishing the chase with an unbeaten half-century.
Raheja, playing his first match as captain, made 48 from only 17 balls. His innings included seven sixes and put Tiruppur well ahead of the asking rate in the PowerPlay. Pradosh then made sure the early advantage was not wasted, scoring 65 not out from 45 balls with eight fours and two sixes.
Raheja changes the chase in one over
The target of 158 was not large, but Madurai had enough runs to make the contest tight if they struck early. Raheja did not allow that pressure to build. He attacked Rohan Bhutra in the fifth over and hit the mystery spinner for five sixes.
Most of Raheja’s scoring came in a simple pattern: clean hitting straight down the ground and over the straight boundaries. By the end of six overs, Tamizhans had raced to 81 for two. At that point, the chase appeared firmly in their control.
Raheja fell short of a half-century, but his 48 had already shifted the match. Tiruppur needed less than half the target after the PowerPlay, with plenty of overs left.
Shoaib brings Panthers back
Madurai Panthers, however, did not let the game finish quietly. Off-spinner Shoaib Mohammed Khan produced a strong spell and brought his side back into the contest. He finished with figures of four for 21.
Shoaib took three wickets across two overs, and Tamizhans slipped from a dominant PowerPlay position to 91 for five in nine overs. That collapse gave Panthers a chance to defend a total that had looked below par on a good batting surface.
Pradosh handled that phase carefully. He avoided unnecessary risks, picked boundaries through the off-side and kept the chase moving. His innings was important because Tamizhans needed calm after the sudden loss of wickets. He completed the job with a hooked six over fine-leg.
Left-arm spinners restrict Madurai
Earlier, Madurai Panthers were held to 157 for nine in 20 overs after struggling through the middle part of their innings. Tiruppur’s left-arm spinners did most of the damage. M. Mathivannan took three for 18, while Mohan Prasath picked up two for 27.
Natarajan also took two wickets, though he conceded 48 runs. Madurai were in serious trouble at 76 for seven before the lower order repaired the innings.
Bhutra and Atheeq Ur Rahman added 73 for the eighth wicket, a stand that took Panthers to a more competitive score. Atheeq made 43, while Bhutra scored 36. Without that partnership, Madurai would have finished with a much smaller total.
Even so, 157 was not enough once Raheja gave Tiruppur such a quick beginning. Panthers found a way back through Shoaib, but Pradosh’s unbeaten innings closed the door.
Brief scores
- Madurai Panthers: 157/9 in 20 overs; Atheeq Ur Rahman 43, Rohan Bhutra 36; M. Mathivannan 3/18, Mohan Prasath 2/27, Natarajan 2/48.
- iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans: 160/6 in 17.4 overs; Pradosh Ranjan Paul 65 not out, Tushar Raheja 48; Shoaib Mohammed Khan 4/21.
- Result: iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans won by four wickets.
Source: The Hindu Cricket.