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Siechem Madurai Panthers vs Nellai Royal Kings Match 28 Full Commentary
Result · Aug 22 2026, Sat - 07:30 PM (IST)
NRK 126/10 (19.1)
SMP 198/5 (20.0)
Siechem Madurai Panthers beat Nellai Royal Kings by 72 runs
CRR:6.57
Player Of The Match
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We are back for the chase! The players are already out on the middle now. Santhosh Kumar D and Athish S R are the two openers for Nellai Royal Kings. It will be spin to start, as Shoaib Md Khan has the ball in hand. Here we go...
... THE RUN CHASE ...
A brillaint start goes to waste - Nellai Royal Kings will be disappointed with their bowling effort. Emmanuel Cherian was superb with the new ball, swinging it at will and picking up three wickets inside the Powerplay, but the Kings could not build on that start. They struggled to contain the scoring in the middle overs, with Sachin Rathi the only other bowler to make an impact with 1/25. The 12 extras, including four no-balls, only added to their problems, and now their batters have a massive task to keep their playoff hopes alive. Join us in a bit for the second essay.
SMP finish with a flourish - Siechem Madurai Panthers have put a strong total on the board, but the big question now is whether it is enough. They lost three wickets in the Powerplay but still managed 52, before V Hari Ragavendra and Shoaib Md Khan steadied things with a vital 60-run stand. Khan then raised the tempo with a fine fifty, while Atheeq Ur Rahman provided the late fireworks, racing to a 27-ball half-century. With 51 coming off the final three overs, SMP have finished with plenty of momentum and given themselves a real chance.
SIX! FIFTY FOR RAHMAN! Off just 27 balls and he finishes things with a bang. Siechem Madurai Panthers end up with 198/5. Emmanuel Cherian goes fuller and on middle and leg. Atheeq Rahman moves across early and whips it over the deep backward square leg fence for a biggie. He gives a thumbs-up to the dugout and walks off the field with pride.
FOUR! Sloppy fielding! In the blockhole, on leg, Atheeq Rahman manages to squeeze it out towards square leg, where the fielder dives over the ball and lets it through for a boundary.
Timber, but it won't count as it is a Free Hit! Good length and on off, P Saravanan swings and misses as the ball crashes into the stumps and rolls to the leg side. A bye taken.
A high full toss, on middle, Atheeq Rahman tries to slog it but mistimes it towards square leg for a run. Rahman takes the review for a No Ball. Ball Tracking shows that the ball is above the waist of the batter. It is called a No Ball. Free Hit up next..
Two wides! Full again and down the leg side, P Saravanan misses his flick. Atheeq Rahman sets off for the bye, and Rithik Easwaran misses the stumps at the batter's end. It is called a wide as well.
FOUR! Gets it away! Fuller and around off. P Saravanan stays deep inside his crease and hammers it away down to the long off fence for a boundary.
No run. Play and a miss! The batter wasn't quite sure how to play that one.
No run, that is slogged away, but not for any run.
Emmanuel Cherian will bowl the final over.
FOUR! And again! Pitched, on middle, attacking the stumps. Atheeq Rahman steps across again and somehow manages to get the toe end as the ball zips past the stumps and the keeper for another boundary.
FOUR! Cheeky and effective! Fuller and on middle and leg. Atheeq Rahman moves across early and nails the scoop over short fine for a boundary.
1 run, that is lofted away for a single.
The next batter in is P Saravanan.
OUT! CAUGHT! Valliappan Yudheeswaran has the last laugh here and he is pumped up. He sticks to the fuller length and the line is outside off again, takes pace off. Shoaib Md Khan tries to repeat the dose but gets it from the toe-end of the bat. It flies towards deep point, where Muhammed Adnan Khan dives forward and takes a fantastic catch. End of a superb knock from Khan. Siechem Madurai Panthers are 170/5 now.
SIX! That is a superb shot! Fuller delivery, outside off. Shoaib Md Khan gets his hands through the shot and carves it over the deep point fence for a biggie.
1 run, the batter comes forward and plays an off drive for a run.
FOUR! More runs! A slower one, full and around off. Shoaib Md Khan steps across a bit, gets underneath it and blasts it over mid off for four more runs. 16 off the over.
FOUR! Easy pickings! Hard length and down the leg side. Shoaib Md Khan just has to get some bat on it and glances it away to the fine leg fence for a boundary.
Sonu Yadav gets the slower one all wrong and serves this outside off, and over the cut strip on the off side. Shoaib Md Khan leaves it alone. It is called a No Ball. Another Free Hit coming up.
1 run, the batter comes forward and plays an off drive for a run.
Bangs in a quick and sharp bouncer, Atheeq Rahman steps across to hook but misses. He looks at the umpire but gets nothing and takes a review. UltraEdge shows no glove involved, and as the batter has moved across a long way, it is not a wide as well.
FOUR! Connects well! 150 up for Siechem Madurai Panthers! Tries to follow the batter, but serves this in the slot, on middle. Atheeq Rahman gets right under it and thumps it over the bowler's head for a boundary. To make matters worse, Sonu Yadav has overstepped here. No Ball called. Free Hit up next...
Pace on, full and angling in. Atheeq Rahman swings but misses as the ball goes off his pads and rolls to the keeper.
1 run, that is cut away through covers for a single.
Sonu Yadav will bowl out now.
SIX! Mighty hit! Dug into the surface, on middle and leg. Atheeq Rahman backs away a bit and smashes it over the deep mid-wicket fence for a biggie.
Playoffs time - And then, there were four! Siechem Madurai Panthers, Trichy Grand Cholas, Vida Kovai Kings and Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans have booked their places in the TNPL 2026 playoffs. The Panthers and Grand Cholas will face off in Qualifier 1 here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday, August 23, with the winner going straight through to the final. The loser will have another chance, taking on the winner of the Eliminator between Kovai Kings and Tamizhans on Monday, August 24. Both matches begin at 2 pm GMT (7.30 PM IST), and you can join us early for all the build-up and coverage. Until then, cheers and goodbye!
Spin to win - Siechem Madurai Panthers went with spin early and the tactic worked brilliantly. Shoaib Md Khan struck twice to set the tone, while P Vignesh added another wicket in the Powerplay. The spinners then kept the squeeze on through the middle overs, denying Nellai any easy runs, before Gurjapneet Singh and Ganeshan Periyaswamy finished things off with two wickets each at the death. The Kings also did themselves no favours with poor shot selection and some costly running between the wickets, and the Panthers made them pay big time.
Panthers finish strong - Earlier in the game, Siechem Madurai Panthers overcame three early wickets to post a strong total, with V Hari Ragavendra and Shoaib Md Khan adding 60 before Khan's half-century and Atheeq Rahman's late 27-ball fifty helped them finish strongly. Apart from Emmanuel Cherian's three Powerplay wickets, Nellai Royal Kings struggled to contain the Panthers, conceding 51 runs in the final three overs and setting up a challenging chase.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Shoaib Md Khan wins the award for his all-round brilliance. He scored 50* off 27 balls with the bat and picked up 3/20(3) with the ball, while also taking one catch in the field. He says he kept believing in himself despite not having the best start to the league phase. He credits the management, support staff and head coach KB Arun Karthick for continuing to back him, and says he is happy to contribute to the team's success. On his role, Shoaib says he was picked as an all-rounder, offering off-spin and batting. He says his job was to take the innings deep if early wickets fell, while with the ball, he aimed to remain economical and particularly looked to pick up wickets against left-handers. Reflecting on his experience of playing in the TNPL, Khan says Tamil Nadu feels more like home than a second home. He adds that he loves playing in Chennai and has been fortunate to produce several performances in Tamil Nadu, making the experience particularly special for him.
Nellai lose their way at the end - Nellai Royal Kings had a similar start to the Panthers, losing three wickets in the Powerplay, but the run rate was still manageable. Guruswamy Ajitesh and Rithik Easwaran then stitched together a crucial 47-run stand to keep the chase on track. However, Nellai seemed caught between chasing the win and simply getting to the 144-run mark needed for qualification, and that indecision proved costly. Ajitesh brought up a fifty, but with 24 needed from 16 balls to qualify, they could not handle the pressure and saw their playoff hopes slip away, losing their last five wickets for just 12 runs.
A stunning finish to the league stage! Siechem Madurai Panthers have blown Nellai Royal Kings away to leap from fifth to the top of the table, capping off a remarkable turnaround. Nellai had a cushion and knew that even in defeat, reaching 144 would have been enough to secure a playoff spot. But under the pressure, they completely crumbled, bringing their campaign to a heartbreaking end. And the biggest twist of all - Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans sneak into the top four despite their heavy defeat earlier, completing a dramatic playoff qualification. Trichy Grand Cholas and Vida Kovai Kings are the other two teams who made it to the next round.
OUT! ROHIT IS RUN OUT! That will be that for this game, and for Nellai Royal Kings this season as well. Siechem Madurai Panthers win by 72 runs. Ganeshan Periyaswamy lands this back of a length and outside off, Ramalingam Rohit cuts it towards deep point and turns around for the second run. Atheeq Rahman gets to the ball and throws it to the keeper's end. Ram Kumar tries to grab it but fumbles, but luckily for him, the ball pops out and hits the stumps, with Rohit short of his crease. The replay confirms the same. Celebrations in the Siechem Madurai Panthers camp, and in Tiruppur as well.
Hard length and around off, Ramalingam Rohit swings and misses. Valliappan Yudheeswaran sets off and the batters sneak in a bye.
20 runs are needed in 7 balls for Nellai Royal Kings to qualify, but they only have 1 wicket.
Bye, the batter looks to play that but is comprehensively beaten.
Tiruppur will be celebrating this wicket more than Siechem Madurai Panthers. Valliappan Yudheeswaran is the last man in.
OUT! RATHI IS RUN OUT! Nellai Royal Kings are on the verge of getting knocked out here. Gurjapneet Singh lands this back of a length and around off, Sachin Rathi cuts it towards backward point and sets off for the run. V Hari Ragavendra picks up the ball and throws it at the bowler's end. Rathi, for some reason, goes around and does not drag his back in. The ball hits the stumps, and he is short of his crease.
So close! A slower dipping yorker, on off, Sachin Rathi goes through the swipe early and misses and the ball misses the off pole by a whisker.
Into the tail now. Sachin Rathi comes out to the middle.
OUT! CAUGHT! You cannot keep Shoaib Md Khan out of this game. A slower one, full and outside off. Muhammed Adnan Khan tries drag it with a wild slog across the line. He loses his shape completely and falls over while playing the shot. He ends up slicing it in the air towards extra cover, where Khan backtracks a bit and takes a fine catch. The Panthers are throwing it away here.
1 run, the batter plays the square cut. Fetches a single.
No run, the batter looks to play that but is comprehensively beaten.
76 needed in 12 balls! However, Nellai Royal Kings will not be thinking about that equation. They need 21 runs in 12 balls to confirm a place in the playoffs. Otherwise, Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans will take their place.
Excellent yorker, on leg, Ramalingam Rohit fails to get bat on ball and takes a tumble. The ball goes off his pads towards square leg for a leg bye.
1 run, that is slogged away through mid wicket for a single.
1 run, that is pushed away for a single.
Emmanuel Cherian is substituted by Ramalingam Rohit
The playoff races take another twist. Ramalingam Rohit is the next man in. He is the Impact Sub for Nellai Royal Kings, replacing Emmanuel Cherian.
OUT! IN THE AIR..GONE! Ganeshan Periyaswamy gets his second. He goes fuller nad on middle, angling in a bit. NS Harish looks to slog it away but gets more height than distance on the shot. It goes miles in the air towards deep mid-wicket, where Atheeq Rahman runs forward a bit and takes a fine catch.
1 run, this is worked away for a run.
FOUR! Much-needed! Fuller and on middle, Muhammed Adnan Khan gets under it and smacks it down to the long on fence for a boundary.
No run, the batter looks to play that but is comprehensively beaten.
1 run, that is defended off the back foot to the off side for a single.
No run, the batter looks to play that but is comprehensively beaten.
Pace off again, hard length and on middle and leg, Muhammed Adnan Khan tries to ride the bounce to play it but it goes off his gloves behind the stumps. He sets off for the run but is sent back. Ram Kumar runs forward, but fails to collect the ball and lets go of a run out chance.