In the ninth match of the Tamil Nadu Premier League held in Salem on July 11, 2024, the Nellai Royal Kings secured a hard-fought victory over the SKM Salem Spartans by three wickets with seven balls remaining. The standout performer of the match was Sonu Yadav, whose brilliance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The Salem Spartans, batting first, were bowled out for 141 in 19.2 overs. Despite a promising start, the Spartans’ innings was curtailed by Yadav’s exceptional bowling performance, which saw him claim five wickets for 30 runs. Key contributions from Robin Bist (23 off 20) and Shijit Chandran (20 off 18) provided some resistance, but regular wickets, particularly by Yadav (5) and Ragupathy Silambarasan (2), kept the Spartans in check.
The Royal Kings’ chase of 142 began with a shaky start, losing opener Mokit Hariharan for a duck in the first over. However, a steady partnership between Guruswamy Ajitesh (45 off 36) and Laxmesha Suryaprakash (43* off 35) stabilized the innings. Despite a few middle-order wobbles, including the dismissals of Nidhish Rajagopal (19 off 18) and NS Harish (13 off 6), Suryaprakash guided the team home.
ME Yazh Arun Mozhi bowled impressively for the Spartans, taking three wickets for 22 runs, but his efforts were in vain as the Royal Kings reached their target in 18.5 overs, finishing at 144/7.
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