Andre Siddarth celebrated his 20th birthday in style, smashing a stunning 47-ball 82 (7×4, 5×6) to power Vida Kovai Kings to its third TNPL title with a 84-run win over Madurai Panthers in the summit clash at the MAC Stadium on Friday.

It was a remarkable turnaround for M. Shahrukh Khan’s men, who had just one win from the first four games before stringing together five consecutive victories to emerge triumphant in the 10th edition.

Electing to bat, Kovai Kings made 182 for seven, riding on a 117-run stand for the third wicket between Andre and B. Sachin.

After openers S. Radhakrishnan and S. Lokeshwar got the team off to a breezy start, Andre maintained the momentum by playing some stylish strokes. The tall youngster, blessed with a great sense of timing, cut and punched through square elegantly.

Andre had a slice of luck when he was dropped on 44 by ‘keeper Ramkumar off Rohan Bhutra, and he gleefully accepted the birthday gift by bringing up his half-century in 34 deliveries.

He then cut loose, first going after pacer G. Periyasamy, picking his slower deliveries early and depositing them over the ropes for a brace of maximums. He then did the same to Rohan in the next over, racing into the 70s. Though Panthers pulled things back in the last five overs through P. Saravanan’s four for 30, Andre and Sachin had by then done enough to get a competitive score on board.

Chasing 183, Panthers’ chase went awry immediately after pacer Deeban Lingesh and spinner M. Siddharth sent back the openers in the first two overs. N.S. Chaturved and V. Hari Ragavendra tried to rebuild the innings, but the latter was run-out attempting a needless single in the final over of the PowerPlay.

From there, Jhathavedh Subramanyan and Shahrukh broke through the middle-order and bowled their side to glory.

The scores: Vida Kovai Kings 182/7 in 20 overs (B. Sachin 39, Andre Siddarth 82, P. Saravanan 4/30) bt Madurai Panthers 98 in 14.2 overs (N.S. Chaturved 40, Deeban Lingesh 2/30, M. Siddharth 3/18, Shahrukh Khan 3/10).

Player-of-the-final: Andre Siddarth. Player-of-the-tournament: B. Sachin.

Well begun is half done. Madurai Panthers established itself as the side to watch out for in TNPL-10 by winning its first four games.

Though there was a stumble after that, Panthers closed out the league stage strongly with a 72-run thrashing of Nellai Royal Kings to finish top of the table. That proved vital as it helped the Madurai side reach the final after its Qualifier 1 against second-placed Trichy Grand Cholas was washed out.

Panthers will now look to fulfil that early-season promise when it takes on Vida Kovai Kings in the summit clash at the MAC Stadium here on Friday.

B. Anirudh Sita Ram’s men have shown great tenacity to conjure victories from tough situations. The former champion’s campaign has been a case of the team being greater than the sum of its parts.

Its top-two run scorers — Atheeq Ur Rahman and N.S. Chaturved — are ninth and 11th on the chart while none of its bowlers is among the top-10 wicket-takers. Unlike the panthers in the wild, this Madurai outfit has worked effectively as a collective.

Like Panthers, Kovai Kings also benefited from a washout to advance out of the Eliminator clash against iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans based on league standings.

The side’s strength has been its potent bowling line-up led by pacers Deeban Lingesh and G. Kishoor while M. Siddharth and Jhathavedh Subramanyan form a formidable spin combo. On the batting front, Kovai Kings have been over-reliant on B. Sachin. But fortunately for the Coimbatore unit, opener S. Lokeshwar and skipper M. Shahrukh Khan have found form in recent outings.

It could come down to the battle between Panthers’ batting depth and Kovai Kings’ varied bowling attack in what promises to be an intriguing finale.

A confident Madurai Panthers skipper B. Anirudh Sita Ram revealed that the team’s pre-auction work in identifying the right talent came to fruition in TNPL-10. He was speaking ahead of the title decider against Vida Kovai Kings on Friday.

“We knew that to win a tournament we needed the players to perform as a team, not as individuals. Going back [in the past few years], we had many individual talents. But as a team, we couldn’t cross that line. This year, we looked to fix those issues and bring in talent who could step up right away. In every game, we could see a new performer get us through,” said Anirudh.

Meanwhile, Kovai Kings captain M. Shahrukh Khan was pleased with how his side had come good in the business end of the competition. After just one victory in its first four games, the two-time champion won its final three league matches to qualify for the playoffs.

“We have been doing the same thing from the start. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t. But the most important thing is to follow what we have planned and do it as consistently as possible. Soon we are bound to get results. We have been keeping at it, and fortunately, we have been peaking at the right time,” said Shahrukh.

The start of the business end of TNPL-10 turned out to be a damp squib as rain played spoilsport in the Qualifier 1 clash between Madurai Panthers and Trichy Grand Cholas. The game was abandoned after two interruptions at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday.

The 2018 champion booked its place in the summit clash to be held on Friday, thanks to its top-of-the-table finish.

Though both sides earned 10 points in the league stage, Panthers had a better Net Run Rate (0.548) compared to Grand Cholas’ 0.095.

In this context, Panthers’ thumping 72-run win over Nellai Royal Kings in its last league match on Saturday helped the B. Anirudh Sita Ram-led outfit leapfrog Grand Cholas in the standings.

Earlier on Sunday evening, the Madurai team opted to field, and only 2.5 overs were possible before rain stopped the proceedings with Grand Cholas at 25 for one.

Play resumed two hours later, and after just two more overs, the heavens opened up again to bring the curtains down for the night.

The scores: Trichy Grand Cholas 49/1 in 4.5 overs (K. Rajkumar 38 n.o.) vs. Madurai Panthers.

Monday’s match (Eliminator): Vida Kovai Kings vs. iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans (7.30 p.m.).

When persistent rain and a delayed start kept Spartans waiting, little would they have known what was about to hit them. However, once the skies cleared and the match began, there was nowhere to hide.

Dindigul Dragons captain B. Indrajith (73, 25b, 3×4, 8×6) led a breathtaking assault to hand the Spartans an 81-run thrashing in a 15-over-a-side Tamil Nadu Premier League clash at the NPR College ground here on Friday.

The Dragons’ innings began in breathless fashion as openers Shivam Singh (38) and V.K. Vineeth (45) tore into the bowling, racing to 70 in only four overs. Vineeth’s run-out briefly offered the Salem Spartans some respite before debutant E. Krish departed for a golden duck, but the Salem outfit was under the pump soon after. Vimal Khumar (35, 17b, 1×4, 3×6) and Indrajith took over and turned the heat on the Spartans’ bowlers, putting on 62 off just 24 balls for the fourth wicket.

Boundaries flowed with such regularity that the opposition looked clueless. Even Vimal’s dismissal did little to stem the flow of runs.

Indrajith, joined by Hunny Saini (29, 10b, 2×4, 3×6), took the attack apart in the 13th over bowled by M. Poiyamozhi, plundering 32 runs with four maximums and a four.

The onslaught continued in the following over against Uday Kumar, with the pair clearing the ropes four more times, as Dragons finished with 239 for six. The mammoth chase was headed in only one direction, and Dragons made sure the Spartans were never in with a shout.

In the second match, Mokit Hariharan’s maiden century (108, 50b, 4×4, 10×6) and a record-breaking 169-run opening stand with Chepauk Super Gillies captain N. Jagadeesan (79) saw his team tame Madurai Panthers by 39 runs.

Debutant V. Hari Ragavendra’s fighting 98 (55b, 9×4, 6×6) kept Panthers in the hunt, but it proved insufficient as they suffered their first defeat.

The scores: Dindigul Dragons 239/6 in 15 overs (Shivam Singh 38, V.K. Vineeth 45, B. Indrajith 73, Karthick Manikandan 2/14, R. Vivek 3/22) bt SKM Salem Spartans 158/8 in 15 overs (S. Abishiek 38, M. Viju Arul 3/29). Chepauk Super Gillies 240/2 in 20 overs (Mokit Hariharan 108, N. Jagadeesan 79, Swapnil Singh 42 n.o., G. Periyasamy 2/33) bt Madurai Panthers 201/8 in 20 overs (V. Hari Ragavendra 98, Swapnil Singh 2/17, J. Prem Kumar 2/28).

Saturday’s match: Vida Kovai Kings vs. Trichy Grand Cholas, 7.30 p.m.

D. Deepesh, just 18, has created a buzz with pace for Madurai Panthers in the TNPL this season.

The 2026 u-19 World Cup winner has repeatedly crossed 140 kph, even touching 146 kph. But he’s also been varying his speed, having worked on that with mentor Sandeep Warrier during the two-week gap after the TNCA First Division League.

“I got a good idea. That’s been helpful. We didn’t just work on speed alone. We worked on slower ones and yorkers, and bowling according to the situation. Speed is my natural ability,” Deepesh said after his team’s third successive win, against SKM Salem Spartans, at the NPR College Ground here on Monday.

“Ever since I started playing in the u-19 circuit, we have spoken a lot and have been working closely. He has been very helpful to me.

“In fact, I would say he’s the only person I’ve always spoken to about my bowling. Even this morning, I spoke with him. We discuss my bowling plan before almost every match,” Deepesh, who finished with three for 38 after conceding 45 in three overs against Vida Kovai Kings, said.

The spell followed a tidy one for 25 in the opening match against Trichy Grand Cholas. The youngster acknowledged the support he received after the initial setback.

“Even after I got hit, the team didn’t let me down. They were very encouraging. The bowling coach (assistant coach A.C. Prathiban) backed me a lot. We spoke about it. Pressure got to me in that situation. So today [Monday], I focused on bowling without letting the pressure get to me,” he said.

And he delivered on the promise, taking three for 18 in his last two overs after going for 20 runs in his first two.

Left-arm pacer Gurjapneet Singh praised former Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming for creating a pressure-free environment.

Reflecting on Fleming’s exit from CSK, Gurjapneet described the Kiwi as a coach who trusted players and encouraged them to rely on their strengths rather than burdening them with pressure. “I was with him for two years. He was very calm and easy to talk to because when we are losing, it’s difficult to talk to the coach sometimes. Everyone is under pressure. But he is a person who doesn’t put pressure on you.

“He has an X-factor. That’s why CSK was able to win five trophies (under him). I think he leaves everything to the players because he finds out the potential of every player. He always asked me to keep practising my strengths, gain confidence in practice and deliver in the matches. That’s what I tried to do,” Gurjapneet said on the sidelines of his TNPL franchise Madurai Panthers’ jersey launch event.

The 27-year-old also highlighted the understanding between Fleming and M.S. Dhoni, saying the duo ensured bowlers were used in roles that best suited them.