Madurai Panthers secured a Qualifier 1 berth with a 72-run win over Nellai Royal Kings, whose dramatic collapse eliminated them and sent iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans into the playoffs.
The Tamil Nadu Premier League Season 10 playoff race went down to the wire on the final day of the league phase, with Madurai Panthers (10 points), Vida Kovai Kings (eight points), and iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans (eight points) joining Trichy Grand Cholas (10 points) in the top four.
In the decisive final first-round match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Madurai Panthers posted a strong 198 for 5 in 20 overs against Nellai Royal Kings. Player-of-the-Match Shoaib Mohammed Khan led the effort with 65 off 43 balls (six fours, three sixes), supported by Atheeq Ur Rahman's unbeaten 50 and Hari Ragavendra's 35. Emmanuel Cherian was the pick of the bowlers for Nellai with 3 for 40.
Chasing 199 to finish in the top two or 144 to guarantee a playoff spot, Nellai Royal Kings fell apart after reaching 92 for three. G. Ajitesh scored 56, but a collapse saw Nellai knocked out for 126 in 19.1 overs. Shoaib Mohammed Khan (2 for 20), Gurjapneet Singh (2 for 14), P. Vignesh (2 for 19), and Impact Player G. Periyasamy (2 for 16) shared the wickets, confirming Nellai's elimination and paving the way for Tiruppur to advance.
Earlier in the day, SKM Salem Spartans avoided an entirely winless season by defeating iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans by 45 runs. Salem posted 169 for 8 behind Karthick Manikandan's 57 off 40 balls, while M. Mathivannan took 3 for 18 for Tiruppur. In reply, Tiruppur reached only 124 for 9 in 20 overs despite Tushar Raheja's 75, with Impact Player Rahil Shah taking 3 for 23 and M. Poiyamozhi claiming 2 for 11. The result confirmed Kovai Kings' spot in the top four.
The playoff fixtures are now set: Madurai Panthers will face Trichy Grand Cholas in Qualifier 1 on Sunday at 7:30 p.m., followed by the Eliminator between Vida Kovai Kings and iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Cricket. Photo courtesy The Hindu Cricket.