R. Ashwin and Varun Chakaravarthy lead Dindigul Dragons to victory over SKM Salem Spartans in TNPL.

Old warhorses R. Ashwin and Varun Chakaravarthy did the star turns for Dindigul Dragons to pip SKM Salem Spartans by two wickets in their Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match at the Chennai Super Kings ground here on Sunday.

While Ashwin picked up three for 22, all three wickets off the carrom ball, and blazed a 14-ball 36 (5×4, 2×6), Varun (13 n.o., 5b, 1×4, 1×6) surprisingly nailed the finishing act with the bat in a 189-run chase.

As ten runs were needed off the last three balls off medium-pacer Poiyamozhi, Varun hit a double, and a no-ball later, smoked a six over long-on off a free hit. With just a single needed off the last ball and all the fielders having closed in, he played a lofted shot to clear the infield for a four down the ground.

Ashwin added 57 runs for the first-wicket stand (24 balls) with Shivam Singh (34). The duo took 25 runs off left-arm spinner Rahil Shah in the second over, with Ashwin scoring 18 of them. He cleared the infield for a four to the covers, hit a straight six, reverse-swept for a four to deep backward point, and hoisted a long-on four.

Hunny Saini (35) and Impact Player Vimal Khumar (24), who came together on 111 for five in the 12th over, weighed in with a crucial 51-run sixth-wicket union (34 balls).

For Spartans, left-hander Nidhish S. Rajagopal (74, 47b, 6×4, 4×6) struck his eighth TNPL fifty and engaged in an 80-run fifth-wicket partnership with R. Vivek (35). He brought up his fifty with a slog sweep for a six to deep midwicket off Varun.

Sathvik shines

In the second match of the day, opener Amith Sathvik smashed an unbeaten 68 (36b, 7×4, 4×6) as 
Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans coasted to a nine-wicket win over Siechem Madurai Panthers.

Tamizhans’ collective bowling effort came to the fore as Panthers was bowled out for 120. Skipper 
Sai Kishore was the pick of the bowlers with two for 11.

Chasing 121, Sathvik set up the win with a 91-run first-wicket stand (47 balls) with left-hander Tushar
Raheja (40, 19b, 3×4, 4×6).

The scores: SKM Salem Spartans 188/7 in 20 overs (Nidhish S. Rajagopal 74, R. Vivek 35, R. Ashwin 3/22) lost to Dindigul Dragons 192/8 in 20 overs (R. Ashwin 36, Shivam Singh 34, Hunny Saini 35, M. Mohammed 2/29, M. Poiyamozhi 2/35). Toss: Dragons.

Siechem Madurai Panthers 120 in 20 overs (C. Sarath Kumar 31, R. Silambarasan 2/33, Sai Kishore 2/11) lost to Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans 121/1 in 10.1 overs (Amith Sathvik 68 n.o., Tushar Raheja 40). Toss: Tamizhans.