With one match left to be played by all eight teams in the league stage of the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2019, the tournament is entering a crucial phase leading up to the playoffs. Matches played over the past few days have witnessed some important personal landmarks.
Dindigul Dragons’ (DD) Narayan Jagadeesan earned his first century in TNPL to defeat Ruby Trichy Warriors (RTW) on Saturday evening. In the match held in Dindigul, RTW posted 178 runs for the loss of three wickets batting first. Test batsman Murali Vijay added 99 runs to the total with some splendid hitting. However, his achievement was eclipsed by Jagadeesan, whose 105 off 60 balls effectively sealed the match in favour of DD, which became the first team to qualify for the playoffs. This was also DD’s fifth consecutive win in the tournament.
Siechem Madurai Panthers (SMP) became the second team to book a spot in the playoffs as they trounced Chennai Super Gillies (CSG) on Saturday in Dindigul. SMP batted first and set a target of 173 for CSG to chase. However, the SMP bowlers didn’t allow the CSG batsmen to settle and restricted them to 139 at the end of 20 overs.
Lyca Kovai Kings (LKK) defeated Karaikudi Kaalais (KK) on Sunday to end their hopes of making it to the playoffs. KK fell short of LKK’s target of 155 runs set for victory.
On Monday, DD posted their sixth consecutive win in the tournament by thumping Kanchi Veerans (KV). After restricting KV to 133 runs, Hari Nishaanth and Rajendran Vivek spearheaded DD’s run-chase to take them past the finish line. The win ensured that DD enter the playoffs as table toppers.
Murali Vijay’s dream of a century, which was cut short in his match against DD on Saturday, came true on Tuesday as he slammed 101 runs off 57 balls. His maiden TNPL ton also helped Ruby Trichy Warriors (RTW) beat Tuti Patriots (TP) in Dindigul. Chasing a target of 178, TP fell short by 18 runs, giving RTW its first win in six matches. This essentially helped RTW climb a spot in the points table to the seventh spot and also hurt TP’s chances of making it to the playoffs.
As per the latest standings, Dindigul Dragons are on top with 12 points and have assured themselves a spot in the playoffs. Chepauk Super Gillies and Siechem Madurai Panthers have eight points each and occupy the second and third spots respectively. Kanchi Veerans, with six points, are in fourth spot.