TNPL 2023: Ravichandran Ashwin takes stunning diving catch to send Sanjay Yadav packing

Match 11 of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2023 featured a clash between Dindigul Dragons and Chepauk Super Gillies at the NPR College Cricket Ground in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday, June 21.

As Dragons registered a thrilling victory, the highlight of the match was one superb catch taken by Ravichandran Ashwin to send the Chepauk all-rounder, Sanjay Yadav, back to the pavilion. The catch was taken on the second ball of the 14th over, where Sanjay attempted to slog the delivery by Varun Chakravarthy high into the air.

Ashwin ran towards the ball and made a fantastic dive to take the catch safely. The video of Ashwin’s brilliant fielding has been doing the rounds across social media.

Dindigul Dragons won the game by one run

Talking about the game, Dragons came in to bat first after losing the toss. The side got off to a subpar start to the game, as openers Rahul and Shivam Singh scored 20 and 21 runs, respectively. Furthermore, the top-order of the side failed to make an impact on the game as well.

Baba Indrajith, Boopathi Kumar, and Ravichandran Ashwin amassed one, seven, and one run, respectively. It was the knock of Adithya Ganesh that stabilised the innings for Dragons. Ganesh scored 44 runs in 30 balls and was crucial in helping his side post a good total on the board. 

With late cameos by Sarath Kumar and Suboth Bhati, the side notched up 170 runs on the board. Looking to defend the total, the side did a commendable job of limiting Chepauk. Narayan Jagadeesan and Baba Aparajith were the best performers for Chepauk during the run chase, scoring 37 and 74 runs, respectively. However, the rest of the batters could not add much, as Chepauk barely missed out on the win. 

Varun Chakravarthy was the highest wicket-taker for Dragons in the second innings, taking three wickets, and his spell was crucial in Dragons winning the game by one run.