The all-rounder smashed an unbeaten 57 runs off 28 balls (5 fours, 3 sixes) to help Dindigul get past Tiruppur’s target of 146 with three overs to spare. Dragons finished at 147 for four to notch up a six-wicket win that helped it end the league stage on a high. DD finished its first round assignment with eight points from seven matches. 

In its debut season, Tamizhans earned five points from seven round-robin games. Chasing a tricky target, Dindigul was in trouble at 65 for four in the 10th over. But Vivek, in the company of Mokit Hariharan (21 not out off 20 balls, 1 four), took the rival attack to sword with a 77-run unbroken partnership off 46 balls for the fifth wicket. 

Captain Hari Nishaanth (33 off 25 balls, 1 four, 3 sixes) and Mani Bharathy (24 off 21 balls, 2 fours, 1 six) had set things up nicely with a 54-run alliance for the second wicket, but pacer A Karuppusamy put Tiruppur back in the contest by claiming two wickets in two overs. 

However, the 30-year-old Vivek saved the blushes for Dindigul to thwart Tiruppur’s plans. Earlier, opener S Siddharth (36 off 27 balls, 2 fours, 3 sixes) and Maan Bafna (52 off 50 balls, 3 fours, 1 six) played lead roles to help Tiruppur post 145 for seven. Their partnership of 50 off 42 balls for the third wicket was the best of the innings. 

Bafna, who was central to TT’s total, was also involved in a 49-run stand for the fourth wicket with all-rounder Francis Rokins (14 off 21 balls). 

BRIEF SCORES:Match 1: iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 145/7 in 20 overs (S Siddharth 36, Maan K Bafna 52, R Suthesh 2/16) lost to Dindigul Dragons 147/4 in 17 overs (C Hari Nishaanth 33, R Vivek 57*, A Karuppusamy 2/33) 

Match 2: Salem Spartans 144/5 in 20 overs (Vijay Shankar 47, R Silambarasan 2/43, V Gowtham 2/29) beat Siechem Madurai Panthers 133/8 in 20 overs (B Anirudh Sitaram 52, Murugan Ashwin 2/25, G Periasamy 2/22)