Dindigul bowl out the TNPL champions for 107, 13 months after losing the final to them
Dindigul Dragons opened the tenth Tamil Nadu Premier League by dismissing defending champions IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans for 107 at the NPR College Ground, then knocking off the runs with nine balls to spare.
Aug 5, 2026
The side that won the Tamil Nadu Premier League 13 months ago was bowled out for 107 in the first match of its title defence. IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans lasted 15.4 overs at the NPR College Ground on 4 August, and Dindigul Dragons, the team they had beaten by 118 runs in the 2025 final, knocked off the runs with nine balls and seven wickets to spare.
It did not look that way after one over. Amit Sathvik took two fours and two sixes off the opening over of the tournament, and Tiruppur were 21 for 1 by the end of it, Sathvik gone for 20 off six balls. That was the high point of their innings.
Four down inside 25 balls
Tushar Raheja, the leading run scorer of the 2025 season, made 4. Pradosh Ranjan Paul got 7. Sai Kishore, the captain, was caught for 4 in the fifth over, and Tiruppur were 42 for 4 having faced 25 balls. Their powerplay read 54 for 4.
What followed was slower but no better. Mohamed Ali took 14 balls over 11 runs. Uthirasamy Sasidev batted 21 balls for 17. S Ganesh and V Anovankar were both bowled without scoring, two deliveries apart, and by the ninth over the champions were 68 for 7. Mohan Prasath finished unbeaten on 17 and Esakkimuthu A made 15, which was enough to drag the total past 100 before the last wicket fell in the 16th over.
A 1.7 lakh signing walked away with the match award
Nirankar Sharma cost Dindigul 1.7 lakh rupees at the auction on 3 July. He bowled his four overs for 21, took three wickets, bowled two of the batters he dismissed and was named player of the match.
P Bhuvaneswaran was the other bowler to take three, though his came at a cost, 32 runs in three overs. Sakthi Karuppasamy took 2 for 18 and ended the innings. Baba Indrajith, keeping and captaining, took three catches behind the stumps.
Dindigul never had to hurry
Chasing 108, Dindigul made 36 for 2 in their powerplay and took their time after it. Anuraag Rajesh Nair batted 39 balls for 34. Vimal Khumar was there at the end on 33 from 40, with Hunny Saini making 17 not out off 16 to close it in the 19th over.
Tiruppur’s bowling was not the problem. Sai Kishore conceded 19 in his four overs, T Natarajan went for 27 and Esakkimuthu A gave up 16 from four. On 107 there was nothing to defend.
Both teams are back at Dindigul on 7 August, Tiruppur in the afternoon game and Dindigul under lights in the evening. The tenth edition of the TNPL began on 4 August and runs through the month.