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SKM Salem Spartans vs Nellai Royal Kings Match 24 Full Commentary
Result · Aug 20 2026, Thu - 07:30 PM (IST)
NRK 146/5 (16.1)
SS 140/7 (20.0)
Nellai Royal Kings beat SKM Salem Spartans by 5 wickets
CRR:9.03
ஆட்டத்தின் சிறந்த வீரர்
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We are back for the chase! The players are already out in the middle. Athish S R and Santhosh Kumar D are the two openers for Nellai Royal Kings. SKM Salem Spartans bring in Rahil Shah as their Impact Sub, replacing S Harish Kumar. It will be Rahul Dev to start proceedings with the ball. Here we go...
... THE RUN CHASE ...
A clinical bowling display - Nellai Royal Kings were right on point from the start, with Emmanuel Cherian striking in the very first over and keeping things tight. They had to wait until the 10th over for their next wicket, but never allowed the Spartans to get away. Although they missed quite a few run out chances otherwise, they could have restricted them to a much lower score. NS Harish and Valliappan Yudheeswaran then picked up three wickets between them in the middle overs, before Emmanuel returned at the death to claim two more and finish with an excellent 3/22. With the bowlers setting it up nicely, the Kings will back their batters to finish the job. Join us in a bit for the second essay.
Spartans fall short - Electing to bat first, SKM Salem Spartans would have wanted more on the board, with their batting effort failing to match the freedom of having nothing to lose. Despite losing just one wicket, they managed only 36 in the Powerplay. A 61-run stand between Hari Nishaanth and Rajendran Vivek offered hope, but the Spartans slipped from 62/1 to 80/4 and then 107/5, with the middle order unable to make much impact. Eshwar M’s 31 off 22 provided a late push, but Salem still looked well short of a competitive total.
Emmanuel Cherian lands this short of a length and on leg, Rahul Dev pulls it over backward square leg and comes back for the second run. SKM Salem Spartans finish on 140/7!
FOUR! Gets it away! A low full toss, on middle, Rahul Dev drags it away and finds the gap between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary.
Rahul Dev is the next man in.
OUT! CAUGHT! Emmanuel Cherian strikes again. Fuller one and on middle, Eshwar M tries to loft it down the ground but fails to get under it fully. He does not get the elevation, as the ball flies towards long on, where Sonu Yadav runs to his left and takes a fine catch.
A bouncer, on off, Eshwar M tries to pull but misses.
Fuller and on middle, S Ajith Ram backs away to play but gets an inside edge onto his pads as the ball lobs to the left of the keeper. The batters set off for the run. Rithik Easwaran puts in an underarm throw but misses the stumps at the batting end, with Eshwa putting in a desperate dive, which would not have saved him.
Who walks out now? It will be S Ajith Ram.
OUT! TAKEN IN THE DEEP! Emmanuel Cherian gets his second wicket. Fuller in length and outside off, Karthick Manikandan looks to go over extra cover but ends up slicing it. It flies straight to deep point, where Valliappan Yudheeswaran does not have to move an inch and takes a good reverse-cup catch. SKM Salem Spartans are 133/6 now.
Emmanuel Cherian will bowl the final over.
1 run, the batter lofts this in the air towards long on and gets a run for the team. 12 runs off the over!
A quick bouncer, on middle, Karthick Manikandan misses out on his pull.
FOUR! Powered away! Pitched up and on middle, Karthick Manikandan gets under it and smacks it past the bowler for a boundary.
1 run, that is flicked off the back foot for a run.
SIX! Clean strike! Fuller and on off, Eshwar M hits through the line, dispatching it over the long off fence for a biggie.
Excellent effort! Fuller and around off, Karthick Manikandan throws his hands at it but gets an outside edge. It races wide of third man where the fielder dives to his left to make a superb stop.
Hard length and on off, Karthick Manikandan punches it a bit uppishly but wide of the bowler, towards mid off for one.
It has started to drizzle a bit here.
A bouncer, on middle, Karthick Manikandan sways away to upper cut but misses.
1 run, that is lofted away towards deep mid-wicket for a single.
On a length and around off, Karthick Manikandan steers it thorugh point for another run.
1 run, that is punched off the back foot for a single.
Wide! The batter shoulders arms to let that one through.
Good length and around off, Karthick Manikandan runs it down to deep third for a single.
Sonu Yadav will bowl out now.
2 runs, that is punched off the front foot to sweeper cover for a couple.
1 run, the batter comes forward and drives it to mid off for a single.
Signing off - That brings us to the end of a rather one-sided affair, with Nellai Royal Kings brushing aside SKM Salem Spartans with ease and moving on top of the table. The TNPL 2026 action continues on August 21, Friday, with a double-header here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, as the league stage enters its final round with six teams still in the playoff race. First up, Vida Kovai Kings take on Dindigul Dragons at 10 am GMT (3.30 pm IST), before Trichy Grand Cholas face Chepauk Super Gillies at 2 pm GMT (7.30 pm IST). As always, join us early for all the build-up and action from both games. Until then, cheers and goodbye!
PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Athish S R wins the award for his amazing knock of 50 off 29 balls.
A fight that came too late - Very little seems to be going right for SKM Salem Spartans, but they did show plenty of fight with the ball. They failed to make an impact with the new ball and were put under pressure early, but the spinners gave them a glimmer of hope in the middle overs. Rahil Shah was superb with 3/13, while B Iyappan picked up a couple, but with so few runs on the board, there was only so much the bowling attack could do.
Spartans post a below-par total - SKM Salem Spartans posted a below-par total, with the 61-run stand between Hari Nishaanth and Rajendran Vivek providing the only significant partnership. The middle order struggled to make an impact, although Eshwar M offered a late boost with a 31 off 24. Emmanuel Cherian was the pick of the bowlers for Nellai Royal Kings with 3/22, while NS Harish claimed two and Valliappan Yudheeswaran chipped in with one to keep the Spartans in check.
Kings cruise despite a wobble - Nellai Royal Kings did not have a big target to chase, and their openers gave them the perfect start. Santhosh Kumar D and Athish S R were superb, dealing in boundaries as they raced to 80/0 in the Powerplay and added 96 for the opening wicket. Both fell soon after reaching their fifties, sparking a collapse from 96/0 to 122/5, a phase the Kings will want to address ahead of the crunch games. NS Harish, though, produced a composed cameo to ensure there were no further alarms and took the Kings home comfortably.
Nellai on top - Nellai Royal Kings have made it back-to-back wins and climbed to the top of the table, although they would have liked to be a little more clinical in the chase. The result has also ended Dindigul Dragons’ playoff hopes, while SKM Salem Spartans have now suffered six defeats on the bounce and have just one final chance to finish their campaign on a winning note.
SIX! NS Harish finishes things off in style! Short of a length and around leg, Harish picks it off his hips and whips it over the deep square leg fence for a biggie. Nellai Royal Kings win by 5 wickets, with 23 balls to spare.
SCORES LEVEL! Flatter, full and on off, NS Harish drags it to deep mid-wicket for one.
FOUR! Clean strike! Flighted, full and on middle, NS Harish uses his feet and thumps it over the bowler's head for a boundary. 2 more runs needed to win now.
No run. Swing and a miss! The batter swings hard at that one but does not connect.
No run, the batter goes back and steers it, but straight to the point fielder.
1 run, that is flicked off the back foot for a run.
1 run, this time the batter goes back and cuts it to deep point for a run.
Tossed up, full and on off, NS Harish eases it down to long off for one more. Rahil Shah finishes an incredible spell of bowling with figures of 4-0-13-3.
1 run, that is punched off the back foot to sweeper cover for a single.
No run, this time the batter punches it off the front foot, but finds a fielder.
Flighted, full and on off, NS Harish pushes it through covers for a run. He turns around for the second but is sent back. He slips but gets back home safely.
No run, the batter has just watchfully blocked this out.
No run, this time the batter punches it off the front foot, but finds a fielder at point.
Fires this one, full and on leg, U Mukilesh clips it to short fine. 11 needed in 36!
1 run, that is flicked off the back foot for a run.
FOUR! Nicely done! Short and outside off, NS Harish gets the width on offer and smacks it to the deep point fence for a boundary.
Floated, full and around off, NS Harish pushes it away through covers for a brace.
No run, beaten! Lovely bowling as the batter is defeated all ends up.
1 run, this time the batter goes back and punches it from the crease for a run.
Nellai Royal Kings lose half their side now. NS Harish comes out to the middle.
OUT! TIMBER! Rahil Shah has three now. He slows this one up, full and on off. Guruswamy Ajitesh backs away to crash it through covers but misses the ball completely as it goes through to rattle into the stumps.
1 run, this time the batter goes back and punches it from the crease for a run.
1 run, the batter comes forward and plays an off drive for a run.
1 run, this time the batter goes back and punches it from the crease through covers for a run.