The defending champions Kochi Blue Tigers made a statement at the start of their Kerala Cricket League campaign, defeating Aries Kollam Sailers by 31 runs in the second match of the tournament in the KCL 2026 on Thursday (August 20).
After being asked to bat first, Kochi recovered from a mid-innings wobble to post 189/5 in 20 overs. The turnaround was powered by a sensational late assault from Sachin Suresh and Karthik B Nair, who transformed a challenging position into a commanding total.
Kochi started positively as Vinoop Manoharan and Vipul Shakthi added 56 runs for the opening wicket. Vinoop top-scored with 37, while Vipul made 12. However, Kochi soon lost wickets at regular intervals, with Jobin Job, Manukrishnan and Sally Samson unable to stay for long.
With the innings losing momentum, Sachin and Karthik took charge. The duo tore into the Kollam attack during the final five overs, collecting 78 runs to provide Kochi with a huge finish.
Sachin smashed 58 off 32 balls, including five sixes and three fours, reaching his half-century in only 28 deliveries. Karthik was even more explosive, finishing unbeaten on 38 from 17 balls, with four sixes and a boundary.
Kollam’s chase began promisingly, with Abhishek Nair and Anand Krishnan providing a steady start. Anand fell for 15, but Abhishek and captain Vatsal Govind subsequently added 60 runs to keep the chase alive.
Abhishek’s 55 and Vatsal’s 32 gave Kollam hope, but their dismissals in quick succession shifted the contest firmly in Kochi’s favour. Ajinas, Sachin P.S. and Amal A.G. failed to build on the platform, while Sharafudheen’s unbeaten 28 could only reduce the margin of defeat.
K.M. Asif and Mithun claimed two wickets apiece as Kochi restricted Kollam to 158/6, securing an impressive opening victory.
KCL 2026: Thrissur Titans beat Calicut comfortably
In the opening match of the KCL 2026 season, Thrissur Titans secured a comfortable 7-wicket victory over Calicut Globstars. After restricting the Globstars to just 137 runs, Nikhil Thottath scored an unbeaten 59 as Titans had no issues chasing the modest total with 19 balls to spare.