Defending champion Lyca Kovai Kings will take on Dindigul Dragons on Friday in Qualifier-1, followed by the clash between Siechem Madurai Panthers and Nellai Royal Kings in the Eliminator on Saturday.
After 28 league matches over the last three-and-half weeks across four venues (Coimbatore, Dindigul, Salem and Tirunelveli), the business end of the TNPL will commence from Friday at the Salem Cricket Foundation Ground, where the first two playoff games will be held.
Defending champion Lyca Kovai Kings will take on Dindigul Dragons on Friday in Qualifier-1, followed by the clash between Siechem Madurai Panthers and Nellai Royal Kings in the Eliminator on Saturday.
Kovai Kings and Dragons have been the standout teams, having won six out of the seven games, with the former edging on Net Run Rate to top the standings.
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For the first time, the teams picked the players in an auction, and the points table largely reflected how well the teams did at the auction table in February.
Kovai skipper M. Shahrukh Khan recently told Sportstar, “We have been doing well as a team for the past few years, and we focussed on getting as many of our players back at the auction.”
The team broke the bank to get back B. Sai Sudharsan (Rs 21.60 lakh) and the opener repaid the faith by setting up five wins before leaving for the Duleep Trophy.
The Dragons assembled a strong bowling attack led by its skipper R. Ashwin. The India off-spinner, alongside Varun Chakravarthy, ensured the side had a formidable spin attack. In the pace department, Subodh Bhati has been exceptional in the death with his yorkers and change of pace, while P. Saravana Kumar has been productive with the new ball.
The batting unit looked fragile, but opener Shivam Singh has come good in the last few games, which has eased the burden on current skipper B. Indrajith, who has been prolific in the middle-order.
Though the Kings got the better of the Dragons in the league stage riding on Sai Sudharsan’s 83 (41b), there is not much to separate the two sides. Friday’s match could boil down to how the Kings’ batting firepower fares against the Dragons’ bowlers.
Meanwhile, Royal Kings have not been left far behind, finishing with five wins. The experienced K.B. Arun Karthick has led the team admirably despite not boasting many Tamil Nadu regulars.
The Nellai team will fancy its chances against former champions Panthers, who have had a mixed tournament with two losses at the start before winning three on the bounce and just about managed to qualify with a win in its last game.
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