SMAT | Padikkals pyrotechnics propels Karnataka to a massive win over Tamil Nadu

Devdutt Padikkal smashed a scintillating unbeaten 102 (46b, 10×4, 6×6) to propel Karnataka to its second-highest total of 245 for three, setting up a thumping 145-run victory over Tamil Nadu in their Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite Group-D fourth-round clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium B-Ground here on Tuesday.

The left-hander completed his fourth T20 hundred in style — a 45-ball onslaught sealed with a straight six off R. Rajkumar on the penultimate ball of Karnataka’s innings.

If his knock had a central target, it was T. Natarajan. Padikkal plundered 45 from just 17 balls off the left-arm seamer, peppering him with four fours and three towering sixes. In a hundred laced with intent, the assault on Natarajan became the soundtrack.

Padikkal didn’t bother settling in. His first touch of the ball was violence in the guise of timing — a flick to midwicket off Natarajan that sailed out of the ground for a six. When Natarajan missed his yorkers, Padikkal sent him straight back over long-off and then flicked him over square-leg for two more sixes.

When the length shifted short, Padikkal shifted modes — helping one over the keeper, pulling another to square leg, and guiding a third past short third man, all for fours. He even found the cover boundary with a rasping carve for good measure.

Under the weight of a big chase, Tamil Nadu crumbled. Leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal drew opener Amith Sathvik (15) forward and out of the crease to be stumped, had Jagadeesan (21) pull straight to long-on, and had R. Rajkumar (16) hole out to an incoming long-off to finish with figures of three for 21.

Fellow leg-spinner Pravin Dubey had Sai Kishore caught-and-bowled, TN skipper Varun Chakaravarthy (duck) hit straight to deep midwicket, and Natarajan (1) offer a catch to long-off for his three for 15. Sai Sudharsan (8) played on to have his off-stump knocked down off pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak.

Later in the day, skipper Manisankar Murasingh’s all-round effort — an unbeaten 25 off 18 balls, and two for 19 in four overs — helped Tripura clinch an upset 12-run win over Delhi.

He provided a late flourish with the bat, cracking a lofted extra-cover four and a pulled mid-wicket six off Ayush Badoni in the final over to lift Tripura to a competitive 157 for five.

With the ball, the medium-pacer struck early, removing the dangerous Priyansh Arya (8) in the third over when the batter slashed a wide delivery to third man. In the 19th over, he had Tejasvi Dahiya (23) mistime a pull off an off-cutter bouncer, holing out to the incoming long-on fielder.

Despite conceding a couple of wides, medium-pacer Indrajit Debnath still managed to defend 20 in the last over, as Anuj Rawat’s (16) on-side heave went straight to short third man.