Ravichandran Ashwin produced an all-round effort for the Dindigul Dragons in the final of the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024 to help his team beat Lyca Kovai Kings and win its maiden title in Chennai on Sunday.
Put into bat first by captain R Ashwin, the Lyca Kovai Kings struggled to put up a competitive score, managing only 129/7 in their 20 overs. Ram Arvindh (27), Atheeq Ur Rahman (25) and S Sujay (22) made contributions but were dismissed before they could settle down.
For the Dindigul Dragons, Sandeep Warrier (2/26), Varun Chakravarthy (2/26) and P Vignesh (2/15) were among the wickets but Ashwin, although wicketless, bowled a miserly spell of 0/13 in his four overs.
In the chase, Dindigul Dragons stumbled early on losing two quick wickets but Ashwin, who came out to bat at No. 3, kept his end steady. He scored 52 runs in 46 balls, his third-straight fifty in the tournament, before getting dismissed at the start of the 18th over.
Dindigul Dragons chased the total with 10 balls and six wickets to spare. Ashwin was named Player of the Match.
Ravichandran Ashwin – who plays for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League – has had a stellar tournament. Besides leading his team to the TNPL 2024 title, the 37-year-old starred not only with the ball but also with the bat.
In the 10 matches, Ravichandran Ashwin has scored 252 runs at a healthy average of 36.00 and an effective strike rate of 151.80. His run includes three fifties, including successive ones in key matches – the Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the final.
In Qualifier 2 against Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans in Chennai, R Ashwin scored 69 not out in just 30 balls – with 11 fours and three sixes – to take his team over the line within 11 overs.
In the Eliminator against the Chepauk Super Gillies at Dindigul, Ashwin forged a 114-run partnership in 72 balls with Shivam Singh to lay the foundation for the last-over victory. His 57 runs came in 35 balls and included four fours and sixes. Ashwin was named Player of the Match.
Ashwin also picked up nine wickets in TNPL 2024 at 27.55 apiece at a strike rate of 23.88 and an economy rate of 6.92.
His best bowling figures in the TNPL season came in the opening match against the Trichy Grand Cholas in Salem, where he picked up 3/18.
Dindigul Dragons started the season on the backfoot, losing two of their first three matches. However, they won three of the next four to finish fourth in the TNPL 20204 points table and qualified for the playoffs.
