Titan Vishnu smashes the fastest century of KCL

Hammer and tongs: Vishnu’s knock was studded with 17 sixes.
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

Vishnu Vinod unleashed his beast mode to lash the fastest century of KCL (139, 44b, 5×4, 17×6) and made short work of a target of 182 as Thrissur Titans won with 44 balls to spare.

Vishnu batted like a man possessed and strummed deadly notes for the Alleppey Ripples bowlers. His six-hitting barrage (17 maximums) was an incredible display of power hitting as he slammed the fastest fifty (19 balls) and hundred (33) of the tournament. The eight-wicket win kept Thrissur Titans alive in the tournament.

Promoted as an opener for the first time, Vishnu grabbed his chance and started the onslaught by caning Anand Joseph for two sixes in the first over. Akshay Chandran’s first over of spin in the PowerPlay was greeted with three sixes by Vishnu as he cantered to his fifty. He went on an overdrive after completing his 50 and took just another 14 balls to race to his century. Vishnu’s masterpiece eclipsed Ripples skipper Mohammed Azharuddeen’s measured knock of 90 which set up a stiff target of 182 for Thrissur to chase.

Earlier, Aries Kollam Sailors won the battle between table toppers and sealed a place in the semifinals after defeating Calicut Globstars by three wickets.

A lower-order rally by the bowlers N.M. Sharafuddeen (20 off 10 balls), A.G. Amal (17 not out off 7 balls) and Ashik Muhammad (12 not out off 10 balls) Sailors reach the target of 173 with one ball to spare.

Sailors stuttered during the chase after losing Sachin Baby (34) A.K. Arjun (2) and Rahul Sharma in quick succession but the bowlers delivered with the bat. Player-of-the-Match Sharafudden threw caution to the wind and struck three crisp boundaries and a towering six to bring down the run-rate to a manageable level.

After his dismissal, debutants Ashik Muhammad and A.G. Amal kept their nerve to see their team through.

The scores:

Calicut Globstars 172/5 in 20 overs (Rohan Kunnummal 61, Omar Abubacker 47, Salman Nizar 37, Ashiq Muhammed 2/21) lost to Aries Sailors Kollam 173/7 in 19.5 overs (Arun Poulose 44, Sachin Baby 34, P. Anfal 2/27, M. Nikhil 2/30, Akhil Scaria 2/40).

Alleppey Ripples 181/6 in 20 overs (Mohammed Azharuddeen 90, Krishna Prasad 43, Monnu Krishna 3/38) lost to Thrissur Titans 187/2 in 12.4 overs (Vishnu Vinod 139).