TNPL 2022: Batting has to take more responsibility – NS Chaturved

Madurai Panthers captain NS Chaturved feels his batters need to take responsibility in the upcoming matches of the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League 2022.

MP won their second match of the season after they defeated Lyca Kovai Kings by two wickets in the thrilling eighth match of the tournament at the NPR College Ground, Dindigul on Thursday.

LKK posted 151 runs on the board after Chaturved won the toss and decided to bowl first. Suresh Kumar once again was able to hit the ground running but he didn’t receive support from the other end as LKK kept losing wickets at regular intervals.

Kumar scored 46 runs from 22 balls whereas U Mukilesh also continued his good form as he scored 50 from 38 balls.

On the other hand, MP got off to the worst possible start as they lost two wickets in the first four balls without opening their account. However, they were able to bounce back in the run-chase after skipper NS Chaturved scored a match-winning knock of 75 runs off just 45 balls.

In fact, MP did struggle to finish off the game as 12 runs were needed in the final three overs with four wickets in hand but they lost two wickets to take the game into the final over. However, Jagatheesan Kousik scored the winning runs and played a crucial knock of 27 runs to get his team over the line.

NS Chaturved said in the post-match presentation, “We would want to move on. I would take the blame on myself for the collapse. The pitch was wonderful. The ball was coming nicely on to the bat. Poor shot selection didn’t help us. Batting has to take more responsibility. The top 4 need to score more.”

On the other hand, Shahrukh Khan, LKK captain, reckons they need to make good use of the PowerPlay overs and admitted they were well short of a par score.

He said after the game, “The wicket got a little slow and sticky. We need to do better in the powerplay. That is an area of concern. We needed to keep the seam dry. We had to keep the ball dry as the spinners had to come. It was a 175-180 wicket. One man can’t make much of a difference. Other bowlers need to step up. We will come back stronger.”

Madurai Panthers will face Nellai Royal Kings on July 5 at NPR College Ground, Dindigul.