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Two teams at opposite ends of the 2021 Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) points table - the Lyca Kovai Kings and the Dindigul Dragons - meet in Match 9 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on a double-header Sunday (July 25).
The Kovai Kings are at the summit of the standings with three points from two games and a net run rate of 1.083. Their opening encounter against the Salem Spartans was abandoned due to rain, before they beat the Ruby Trichy Warriors by eight wickets with 11 balls to spare.
Meanwhile, the Dragons are dead last in the TNPL 2021 table, having lost their only game of the tournament so far. They were bowled out for just 96 by the Siechem Madurai Panthers, who won by six wickets with a whopping five overs to spare.
The Lyca Kovai Kings have won two (2016 and 2019) of their last four games against the Dindigul Dragons. While one of those four matches was washed out without a ball being bowled, the Dragons cruised to a comfortable win in TNPL 2018.
LKK vs DD Prediction: Can Shahrukh's men extend their lead at the top of the TNPL 2021 points table?
The Lyca Kovai Kings have been powered by the batting exploits of Sai Sudharsan. The 19-year-old, playing his first competitive tournament, has smashed over 140 runs in the two games the team has featured in. Opener Ganga Sridhar Raju tallied a superb 74 in the previous game, in which captain Shahrukh Khan showed glimpses of his devastating hitting ability.
With the ball, Abhishek Tanwar and K Vignesh scalped two wickets apiece in their first appearance of TNPL 2021. While Ajith Ram and U Mukilesh were economical, Elangovan Srinivasan had an off-day against the Warriors.
The Dindigul Dragons, who are now without their leading run-scorer N Jagadeesan, were shambolic in their game against the Panthers. Mani Bharathi's 26 was the highest score of the innings, with only Hari Nishaanth, Mokit Hariharan and Rajendran Vivek reaching double figures apart from the wicket-keeper.
Rangaraj Suthesh scalped two wickets in the three overs he bowled against the Panthers, but the role of the fifth bowler - occupied by MS Sanjay and S Arun - remains a concern for the Dragons. Captain Rahjamany Srinivasan needs to be spot-on with his bowling changes - as well as with the bat - against a Kovai Kings lineup that is stacked with power hitters.
There's a reason the Lyca Kovai Kings are at the top of the table, even though the sample size is small. Shahrukh Khan's men appear to be a formidable unit, with the Dindigul Dragons having shown nothing to suggest that they are in the same league. And while the TNPL is an unpredictable tournament, the Kovai Kings should be able to extend their lead at the top.
Prediction: Lyca Kovai Kings to win Match 9 of TNPL 2021
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