Ashwin fifty powers Dindigul Dragons to maiden TNPL title

A 46-ball 52 from R Ashwin at No. 3 following a collective bowling effort helped Dindigul Dragons to their maiden Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) title. It was Ashwin's third successive fifty in TNPL 2024.

Lyca Kovai Kings, in their third straight final, were restricted to 129 for 7 - thanks to two-wicket hauls from Sandeep Warrier, Varun Chakravarthy and P Vignesh each - with Dragons overhauling it with six wickets and ten balls to spare at Chepauk. Ashwin also contributed with four stingy overs for just 13 runs.

After being inserted, Kings raced away to 48 for 1 in five overs. But Varun struck twice in two balls in the final over of the powerplay to get rid of S Sujay (22 off 12) and U Mukilesh. B Sai Sudharsan, who scored an unbeaten 123 in the Qualifier 1, soon cut a short and wide one straight to backward point to leave Kings in tatters at 51 for 4.

Atheeq Ur Rahman and Ram Arvindh then stitched a 36-run stand in 28 balls. But once that partnership was broken by Suboth Bhati, Kings run-rate took a hit. M Shahrukh Khan, Kings' captain, also had an off day and that culminated in an abject finish to the innings.

The start to Dragons' 130-run chase was a bit frantic, with both the openers being dismissed in 15 balls. But Ashwin and B Indrajith (32 off 35) brought a sense of calmness. Ashwin hit one four and three sixes in his stay. They added a run-a-ball 65 for the third wicket to all but seal the chase. One that was completed swiftly in the end, thanks to Sarath Kumar's 15-ball 27 with two fours and as many sixes.

While Ashwin was named Player of the Match for his innings, Shahrukh took the series honours for his all-round efforts: 225 runs at a strike rate of 182.92 - easily the best among the top run-scorers in TNPL 2024 - and 13 wickets, second to only M Poiyamozhi's 16.