Tushar Raheja's explosive 48 and Pradosh Ranjan Paul's unbeaten 65 carried iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans to a four-wicket victory over Madurai Panthers at the MAC Stadium.
Tushar Raheja sparkled on his captaincy debut while Pradosh Ranjan Paul anchored the chase as iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans secured a four-wicket victory over Madurai Panthers in their TNPL-10 match at the MAC Stadium on Thursday. The win marked Tiruppur's fourth victory of the season, moving them to the top of the table.
Earlier in the day, Tamizhans' left-arm spinners M. Mathivannan (3/18) and Mohan Prasath (2/27) dismantled the Panthers' top order, reducing the 2018 champions to 76 for seven. Rohan Bhutra (36) and Atheeq Ur Rahman (43) mounted a fightback, adding 73 runs for the eighth wicket to push Madurai Panthers to a total of 157 for nine in 20 overs. T. Natarajan also picked up two wickets for 48 runs.
Chasing 158, Raheja set a destructive tone early in the PowerPlay, smashing 48 runs off just 17 balls with seven sixes. His violent onslaught included clearing the straight boundary five times in the fifth over off mystery spinner Bhutra, carrying Tamizhans to 81 for two after six overs.
Madurai Panthers stayed in the contest through off-spinner Shoaib Mohammed Khan, who took 4 for 21 to strike three times in two overs, leaving Tamizhans wobbling at 91 for five in the ninth over. However, Paul maintained his composure, chipping away at the target with crisp off-side drives before finishing the match with an unbeaten 65 off 45 balls (eight fours, two sixes), wrapping up the win at 160 for six in 17.4 overs.
TNPL action continues on Friday with Vida Kovai Kings facing Dindigul Dragons at 3:30 p.m., followed by Trichy Grand Cholas taking on Chepauk Super Gillies at 7:30 p.m.
Reporting sourced from The Hindu Cricket. Photo courtesy The Hindu Cricket.