TNPL: Sai Sudarshan smacks ton to guide Kovai Kings into the final
Versus pace, he flicked, square-cut, played inside-out, straight-drove, and punched on the backfoot for boundaries.
Published : Jul 30, 2024 23:41 IST , DINDIGUL - 2 MINS READ
Sai Sudharsan, of Lyca Kovai Kings, who scored 123 not out against Idream Tirupur Tamizhans, at a TNPL match held at Natham in Dindigul. | Photo Credit: The Hindu
It would have been a stressful and surreal blur for iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, as B. Sai Sudharsan slammed a spectacular hundred (123 n.o., 56b, 9x4, 9x6) for Lyca Kovai Kings to chase down 200 with seven wickets and seven balls to spare in Qualifier-1 and storm into the final of the eighth season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) at the NPR College cricket ground in Natham on Tuesday.
As if a man possessed, he rose to the big occasion, and produced an innings of soaring majesty!
Versus pace, he flicked, square-cut, played inside-out, straight-drove, and punched on the backfoot for boundaries. He pulled left-arm spinner S. Ajith Ram for a six to deep square leg and even brought up his fifty with a flat six off him over long off.
With 71 needed off 30 balls, he manufactured a six as he went down on a knee and slogged medium-pacer R. Rohit to deep midwicket.
When he was on 72, he skied his pull to deep midwicket off left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore, but Amit Sathvik and Ajith Ram collided and dropped the chance and three runs were conceded. A ball later, he hit three consecutive sixes.
The first a hammered bunt off a wide delivery, the second a pull for a high-and-handsome long-off six, and the third a contemptuous kitchen-sink over cover. Emboldened, he attempted a six again, but was dropped on 93 by Radhakrishnan, who came running in from long off.
In the next over, he climbed all over a T. Natarajan short delivery and pulled it massively to deep midwicket to bring up the second-fastest century (48b) in TNPL history!
Thereafter, as he put the finishing touches to finally leave everyone gobsmacked, there was a remarkable whiplash of a wristy cut for a six over the leaping fielder at deep cover off medium-pacer P. Bhuvaneswaran.