Nellai Royal Kings captain Baba Indrajith was delighted after his team defeated Chepauk Super Gillies in the opening game of the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League 2022 at the Indian Cement Cricket Ground, Tiruvelneli as they won the Super Over contest on Thursday.
NRK got off to a horrible start in the PowerPlay overs as they were reeling at 27-3 after 5.2 overs.
However, Laxmesha Suryaprakash and Sanjay Yadav were able to bail their team out of the troubled waters as the duo added 133 runs for the fourth wicket.
Suryaprakash, the NRK opener, scored a fine knock of 60 runs off 52 balls whereas Sanjay Yadav went on to score a match-winning knock of 87 runs off just 47 balls.
Thus, NRK was able to post a par score of 184 runs on the board after Ajitesh scored a little cameo of 8-ball 16.
Baba Indrajith credited Suryaprakash and Yadav for their fine partnership and heaped praise on the duo. Indrajith also shed light on the run-out of N Jagadeesan who was furious after his dismissal.
He said after the win, “This is the perfect 1st game for everybody, for the fans. It was an exciting game. Definitely not the pitch, we have to put our hands up and say we did not bat well in the powerplay.
Credit goes to Sanjay and Suryaprakash, honestly, we did not expect us to reach that total from 27/3 so all credit to the both of them. We had spoken previously that nobody should take advantage. If in the Super Over with one needed, had we taken advantage it would’ve been unfair.”
He added, “I think Apar [Aparajith] saw Jagadeesan doing it the previous ball and when he went out of his crease, he ran him out. And everyone knows that the rules have changed and it’s clearly now mentioned that it’s a run-out and not a Mankad so it’s within the rules. I think it was a soft indication [on Aparajith not delivering the ball just before he Mankaded Jagadeesan]. When you are playng against a top side, you have to bring your A-game, they can field two elevens, that’s how strong they are, so it feels good to beat them.”
On the other hand, Sanjay Yadav was awarded the Player of the Match for his fine knock of 87 runs and also crucial runs in the Super Over. Yadav was delighted with his performance and said they should try to make the most of their experience.
Yadav said after the game, “It’s very close. They played really well. We have to appreciate them. At last, we fought and won. I’m playing from, I think this is my 6th year. Every match we gain experience. Playing for 5 years, we should perform well. All the contributions in the bowling department has been good and it’s happy to win. I try to finish the game. I take it till the end, I know I can hit big shots, but if I start and end well, it will be good for the team.”
NRK will next face Salem Spartans on Saturday at the same venue.
