Suman slams century as State crush Karnataka
With just over a week remaining for the start of IPL-8, should the franchisees be given a chance to make an addition to their squad it wouldn’t be surprising if right-hand batsman Tirumalasetti Suman turns hands-down favourite.
The opener who went unsold in the auction, clubbed a 60-ball 100, his third 80-plus score in last four innings, to fashion Hyderabad’s 31-run victory against Karnataka in the South Zone leg of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy T20 league at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium here on Saturday.
Suman slammed 7 sixes and 9 boundaries to complete the first century in the six-team South Zone leg that gives Hyderabad a fighting chance to make the top two with just one match remaining per side.
Group toppers Andhra and Tamil Nadu, with 12 points each, play each other on Sunday while Goa meet Hyderabad and Kerala take on Karnataka, giving all teams except Goa the prospect of qualifying based on run rate.
In another match, Kerala were dealt a massive blow as Andhra clinched a lastball thriller. Amit Verma’s decisive 18th over that leaked 15 runs pulled the rug from under Kerala’s feat and Ashwin Hebbar ensured a 6-wicket win with a boundary off Basil Thampi’s last ball.
Baba Aparajith and B. Indrajith guided Tamil Nadu to a comfortable 6 wickets win against reigning south zone champions Goa that has lost all four of its matches.
BRIEF SCORES