Shivam Singh’s cyclonic innings (106 n.o., 57b, 6x4, 10x6) sunk Siechem Madurai Panthers as it lost by 30 runs to Dindigul Dragons in the eighth season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League at the NPR College cricket ground in Natham on Friday.
Dindigul has qualified for the playoffs, while Madurai has been knocked out.
Shivam’s innings evoked the knock (78, 51b, 6x4, 5x6) he played in Dindigul’s season opener against Trichy Grand Cholas. If his six-hitting off the pacers was a highlight in that innings, it was his six-hitting versus the spinners that was the highlight on Friday. Seven of his ten sixes came off the spinners.
After opener R. Vimal Khumar (23) and skipper Baba Indrajith (29) played cameos, Shivam combusted. For instance, he played an ungainly, unconnected slog sweep against leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin in the ninth over. Undeterred, as if taming the ball that dared to elude him, he seemingly willed the next delivery for a six over deep midwicket off a slog sweep again.
From there, his innings turned frenetic. He swivel-hooked medium-pacer Ajay Krishnan for a six over the deep fine leg boundary and followed it up with a gorgeous inside-out for a six over the deep cover boundary for the shot of the match to bring up his fifty (29b).
He hit three consecutive sixes off leg-spinner V.S. Karthick Manikandan in the 15th over - two over deep midwicket and one behind deep square leg.
In the chase, thereafter, only opener S. Lokeshwar threatened Dindigul with a 37-ball 55 (3x4, 4x6).
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