A blistering knock by S. Lokeshwar set up Lyca Kovai Kings’s win against Nellai Royal Kings.
| Photo Credit: M. PERIASAMY
Opener Lokeshwar’s best score in TNPL (90 n.o, 57b, 5×4, 5×6) and leg-spinner R. Divakar’s three for 16 helped Lyca Kovai Kings (LKK) beat Nellai Royal Kings (NRK) by 67 runs in a Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match at the Chennai Super Kings ground here on Saturday.
Chasing 166, NRK folded for 98 to hand LKK its first win of the season.
Earlier, LKK posted 165 for six, having been put in to bat. The new-ball swing and the wind blowing across the ground throughout the innings made run-scoring difficult. Left-hander B. Sachin (10) slog-swept left-arm spinner Sachin Rathi against the wind for S.R. Athish to pouch it at deep midwicket. Andre Siddarth (duck) hit against the wind off Rathi too, skipping down the pitch to the second ball he faced to hole out to Muhammed Adnan Khan, who ran in from long off.
Only skipper Shahrukh Khan (30, 25b, 2×4, 2×6) defied the wind. He pulled off-spinner B. Rocky for a six to deep square leg and hit a six off left-arm spinner N.S. Harish over a leaping long-off fielder, both against the wind. He engaged in a 75-run fourth-wicket stand (off 46 balls) with Lokeshwar.
Lokeshwar ramped Yudheeswaran for a six to fine leg in the sixth over and slog-swept a slot ball for a six to deep midwicket off the same bowler in the 20th over. He also ramped Cherian for a six to fine leg and slog-swept Rathi with the wind for a six to deep midwicket. On reaching his fifty off 39 balls, he danced down the track and hoisted Rathi for a straight six.
The scores: Lyca Kovai Kings 165/6 in 20 overs (S. Lokeshwar 90 n.o, Shahrukh Khan 30, Sonu Yadav 2/16, Sachin Rathi 2/25) bt Nellai Royal Kings 98 in 17.5 overs (P. Bhuvaneswaran 2/9, M. Siddharth 2/16, R. Divakar 3/16, N. Kabilan 2/26). Toss: Royal Kings.
Sunday’s matches: SKM Salem Spartans vs Dindigul Dragons (3.15 p.m.); Siechem Madurai Panthers vs Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans (7.15 p.m.).
Published – June 21, 2025 11:56 pm IST
