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Match 9 | TNPL 2026 | NPR College Ground, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu | Monday, 10 August 2026
Baba Aparajith’s finishing touch for Chepauk Super Gillies against a makeshift Dindigul Dragons middle order looks like the contest that decides Match 9. Aparajith already averages 46.15 in his TNPL career at a strike rate above 138, numbers built for exactly this kind of chase. Dindigul countered similarly in their opener, with Vimal Khumar and Hunny Saini both finishing unbeaten in a tight chase against ITT. Whoever controls the middle overs at NPR College Ground likely controls the result on Monday.
Dindigul Dragons only needed one middle-order stand to get over the line in their tournament opener, chasing 108 against ITT with two batters doing the bulk of the work. Vimal Khumar finished unbeaten on 33 off 40 balls, while Hunny Saini closed it out with 16 not out from just 16 deliveries. Both finished well ahead of the required rate too, needing just 108 to win and rarely looking troubled once set.
The low target meant Mohit Mittan, Baba Indrajith and Karthik Saran never had to bat, so this remains the only real evidence of how that middle order handles pressure this season. Shivam Singh, last year’s leading run-scorer for the side with 327 runs, is still waiting for his moment in 2026.
Nine years of results between these two sides tilt heavily toward the visitors, who have won nine of thirteen recorded meetings on the most comprehensive count available. That history adds extra weight to whichever middle order blinks first when the match reaches its business end on Monday. A narrower count since 2017 puts the gap closer at 7-4 in the visitors’ favour, though every published figure still has Chepauk clearly ahead.
The reverse fixture last season went right down to the wire too, with Dindigul chasing 179 and getting home by four wickets in a qualifier defeat for the away side. Form like that suggests neither camp will fold quietly here. Chepauk also carry four TNPL titles from 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021, plus a shared crown in 2022 after a rain-hit final.
Baba Aparajith’s TNPL career reads 1,569 runs from 42 matches at an average of 46.15 and a strike rate of 138.20, with twelve fifties and a best of 92. His death-overs strike rate specifically is not isolated in any available source, but his overall numbers already mark him out as the standout finisher on either team sheet.
His most recent season was sharper still. In 2025 he scored 412 runs in nine innings at a strike rate above 158, including an unbeaten 77 off 48 balls that turned a chase against ITT in his side’s favour.
NPR College Ground in Dindigul rewards chasing sides, who have won 63 percent of matches played here across TNPL history. The average first-innings total sits between 160 and 163, though five of the last ten games at this venue have produced a first-innings score above 180. Across 35 TNPL matches hosted here, the ground has produced 10,681 runs and 443 wickets at an overall strike rate of 136.49.
Dew tends to settle in during the second innings of day-night fixtures, which usually pushes the toss winner toward bowling first. Given both middle orders will likely bat second at some stage this tournament, that chase-friendly trend makes the coming finish even harder to call with confidence.
The numbers below line up both middle orders heading into Match 9, mixing career TNPL form with what little 2026 evidence exists so far.
| Batter | Career TNPL Avg | Career TNPL SR | 2026 Season So Far |
| Baba Aparajith | 46.15 | 138.20 | Career benchmark across 42 matches |
| Baba Aparajith (2025) | 61.00 | 158.46 | Peak season for historical context |
| Vimal Khumar | 25.05 | 129.79 | 33 not out in the opener |
| Hunny Saini | 22.89 | 166.13 | 16 not out in the opener |
| Mohit Mittan | 17.40 | 106.10 | Unused, target chased early |
| Shivam Singh | 43.96 | 148.86 | 2025 season’s leading DD scorer |
Aparajith’s numbers still sit clear of the field, but a Dindigul Dragons vs Chepauk Super Gillies TNPL 2026 middle order fight rarely stays predictable once the game moves past over eleven.
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Who captains Dindigul Dragons in this year’s TNPL?
Baba Indrajith leads the side as captain and wicketkeeper for the 2026 season. He was among the batters left unused in the low-scoring tournament opener against ITT.
What is Chepauk Super Gillies’ record against Dindigul historically?
Chepauk hold a clear edge, winning nine of their thirteen recorded TNPL meetings. A narrower count since 2017 still has them ahead, 7-4, across every published source.
When is the Dindigul Dragons versus Chepauk fixture being played?
Match 9 is scheduled for Monday, August 10, inside the tournament’s Dindigul leg. That leg runs from August 4 through August 15 with regular double-header days.
Where does Match 9 of this year’s TNPL take place?
NPR College Ground in Dindigul hosts the contest, also referred to as Natham. The venue has staged 35 TNPL matches, producing over 10,000 runs across its history.
How many TNPL titles has Chepauk Super Gillies won?
Chepauk have won four outright TNPL titles, in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021. They also share a fifth crown from 2022, after that year’s final was washed out.
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