The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2017 is on the final lap of the season, and teams are battling to reach the final. Similarly, two teams Karaikudi Kaalai and Lyca Kovai Kings, who were decent in the group stages, are set to face one another in a must-win Eliminator at the NPR College Grounds, Natham on Wednesday.
The winning team will not gain a direct entry into the final but will meet Chepauk Super Gillies in Qualifier 2. Both Karaikudi Kaalai and Lyca Kovai Kings should not think about the future and just concentrate on the match in hand.
Karaikudi Kaalai will be led by a quality batsman Subramaniam Badrinath, who will need to bring all his experience into play to beat the Kings.
Besides the opener, K Vishal Vaidhya and Srikkanth Anirudha will be crucial to their chances in the competition. All the players, including the batsmen and bowlers, have to contribute in order to trouble Kings, who have good players.
Kaalai will come into this match with their heads held high after having played quality cricket to win their last two matches. The Kings will also not be short on confidence as they have also won their last two matches.
The Kovai Kings finished fourth in the group stages, allowing them to qualify as the final team for the Playoffs stage. They nearly missed out in the Playoffs after two of their seven matches were abandoned. They have only lost two matches in TNPL 2017 so far. Can they play quality cricket to show Kaalai the exit door?
They have the ammunitions to deliver. With Murali Vijay leading their team, they have one of India's finest players and with consistent batsmen like Anirudh Sita Ram, Kings will be looking to score big and pile pressure on their opponents.
Both the teams will be under pressure to deliver as it is a do-or-die encounter, but it is consistent and quality cricket, which could play an important role in helping the winning team go through.
When is the match and how to watch it live
The match between Kovai and Kaalai will start at 7:15 pm IST.
TV Channel: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2, Star Sports Tamil. Live streaming: Hotstar
