Siddharth Mahadevan’s 60 (42b, 5×4, 3×6), R. Ram Kumar’s 19-ball 36, Atheeq Ur Rahman’s assured 27-ball 39, and a disciplined effort from the spinners fashioned Madurai Panthers’ 36-run win over SKM Salem Spartans in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) at the NPR College Ground here on Monday.
It was a third win in as many games for the Panthers, while the Spartans suffered a third straight defeat.
Openers Siddharth and Ram Kumar gave Panthers’ innings early impetus, adding 50 off just 28 balls.
Siddharth cleared fine leg off leg-spinner V.S. Karthick Manikandan and went on the back foot to whip Ajith Ram over deep midwicket for another six.
Against off-spinner Hari Nishaanth, he struck a flat six and slog-swept for another six, both over deep midwicket.
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At No. 5, Atheeq made a useful 39 off 27 balls, hitting three sixes. He and Siddharth added 63 off 47 balls for the fourth wicket before the Panthers’ spinners closed out a comprehensive victory.
Mystery spinner Rohan Ravi Bhutra bamboozled the Spartans batters with a superb four-over spell that yielded two for nine.
His unusual action, slightly reminiscent of Paul Adams and Shivil Kaushik, made him difficult to pick. He had opener R. Kavin (22) caught by Gurjapneet Singh at short fine leg before S. Abishiek (5) holed out to N.S. Chaturved at long-off.
Left-arm spinner P. Vignesh (two for 17) had Nidhish S. Rajagopal (20) and Harish Kumar (0) caught in the deep, while left-arm spinner P. Saravanan and off-spinner Shoaib Mohammed Khan picked up a wicket apiece. Pacer D. Deepesh, with two wickets at the death, finished with figures of three for 38.
Published on Aug 10, 2026
