WATCH: Nellai Royal Kings batters score 33 runs in penultimate over to seal stunning chase in Qualifier 2 of TNPL 2023

The Nellai Royal Kings (NRK) locked horns with the Dindigul Dragons’ (DD) side in the Qualifier 2 of the 2023 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) on Monday in Tirunelveli. The Royal Kings won the match by seven wickets and Ajitesh Guruswamy was awarded the Player of the Match for his match-winning performance.

NRK needed 37 runs off the last two overs. DD skipper, Vimal Khumar brought in G Kishoor to bowl the 19th over. After giving up 17 runs in his previous two overs, the 23-year-old bowler was trusted by his skipper. But when Rithik Easwaran smashed him apart, the choice turned out to be disastrous. In the over, Easwaran smacked three sixes in the first three balls. Guruswamy smashed a six in the fifth ball after his partner took a single in the fourth ball.

Every match someone has stepped up and done it for the team: Rithik Easwaran

Kishoor’s final delivery, which he was forced to bowl since he had bowled a no-ball earlier in the over, went for another maximum and 33 runs were scored in that over. NRK just needed 4 runs off the last over. NRK needed just 4 runs off the last over, according to the last over’s timeline: 6, 6, 6, 1, 6, 1NB, 6. Easwaran smashed a six in the last ball to give NRK a victory.

Watch it here:

One of the craziest striking! 37 needed in 12 balls – 6,6,6,1,6,N1,6.

33 runs from the penultimate over, insane striking from Rithik Easwaran and Ajitesh Guruswamy in TNPL Qualifier. pic.twitter.com/jhToGDKkM1

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) July 10, 2023

Earlier in the match, NRK won the toss and elected to bowl first. The Dragons while batting first scored 18 runs for the loss of five wickets after the completion of the first innings. Their opener, Shivam Singh was the highest scorer for them as he scored 76 runs off 46 balls with four fours and six sixes in his innings.

“I am out of breath right now but happy to go to the final. We had the short boundary. The first two balls clicked and then we went on from there (referring to the 19th over). Just use your brain over brawn (mid-innings talk). It has been a team effort, every match someone has stepped up and done it for the team. It was an instinctive moment (going for three sixes),” Easwaran was quoted as saying after the match.