Lyca/VIDA Kovai Kings face Dindigul Dragons in Match 25 of the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2026 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, August 21. The afternoon match starts at 3:30 PM IST. This is the final league-stage match for both teams.
Kovai enter the contest fifth in the latest standings with three wins, three defeats and six points from six matches, along with a strong +1.140 net run rate. Dindigul sit seventh with two wins, four defeats and four points, with an NRR of -0.098. A win would move Kovai to eight points and keep them firmly in the playoff race, while Dindigul can no longer reach the eight-point mark already held by the current top four.
The teams come into this game with opposite momentum. Kovai have won two matches in a row, beating Trichy Grand Cholas by 116 runs and Chepauk Super Gillies by five wickets. Dindigul beat Salem Spartans by 82 runs but then lost to Trichy by 28 runs under the DLS method in their latest game.
LKK vs DD Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Lyca/VIDA Kovai Kings vs Dindigul Dragons, 25th Match |
| Series | Tamil Nadu Premier League 2026 |
| Date | Friday, 21 August 2026 |
| Time | 3:30 PM IST / 10:00 AM GMT |
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Format | T20, 20 overs per side |
| Captains | Shahrukh Khan (LKK/VKK), Baba Indrajith (DD) |
| Points Table | LKK/VKK: 5th, 6 points, +1.140 NRR; DD: 7th, 4 points, -0.098 NRR |
| Recent Form | LKK/VKK: L, L, L, W, W. DD: L, L, L, W, L |
| H2H | 11 matches: Kovai Kings 4 wins, Dindigul Dragons 7 wins |
The match timing and current squads are confirmed by Cricbuzz. Dindigul also hold a clear historical edge in this matchup, winning seven of the 11 previous meetings.
Dindigul have also won the last three completed head-to-head meetings, including the 2024 TNPL final and the 2025 league encounter.
Dream11 Team for LKK vs DD, 25th Match
Top Picks for LKK vs DD, 25th Match
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balasubramaniam Sachin | LKK | C / Batter | The strongest captain option from the supplied team. Sachin has scored 347 runs from six innings, averaging 57.83 with a strike rate of 171.78. He is Kovai’s leading run-scorer. |
| Baba Indrajith | DD | VC / WK-Batter | Indrajith remains one of Dindigul’s main batting options. He struck a brilliant 73 from 25 balls against Salem and followed it with 32 against Trichy. Wicketkeeping also gives him another route to fantasy points. |
| Suresh Lokeshwar | LKK | WK-Batter | Lokeshwar comes into the game after making 40 runs in Kovai’s five-wicket victory against Chepauk. His top-order role and wicketkeeping make him a useful fantasy pick. |
| Shivam Singh | DD | Batter/All-Rounder | Shivam made 47 in Dindigul’s latest match against Trichy. He also struck 38 from 15 balls against Salem, showing his ability to score quickly. |
| RS Ambrish | LKK | Bowler/All-Rounder | Ambrish picked up three wickets in Kovai’s previous match, making him one of the better lower-credit options in the supplied team. |
| Varun Chakaravarthy | DD | Bowler | Varun is now confirmed fit after playing against Trichy. He returned 0/34 from four overs but was one of Dindigul’s more economical bowlers on a high-scoring evening. Chepauk remains a suitable venue for his variations. |
| P Bhuvaneswaran | DD | All-Rounder | A strong alternative outside the screenshot. He is Dindigul’s leading wicket-taker with eight wickets in TNPL 2026. |
K Deeban Lingesh is another major alternative from Kovai. He has taken 11 wickets from five matches at an average of 11.27, making him the team’s leading wicket-taker. His final inclusion should be checked because current probable XIs differ over whether he starts.
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Pitch Type | The Chennai surface has played better for batting than its traditional slow-pitch reputation might suggest. Batters can score freely after settling, although bowlers who hit the right areas and change pace remain effective. |
| Average 1st Innings Score | Around 159 in TNPL matches at the venue |
| Average 2nd Innings Score | Around 146 |
| Recent Scoring | CSG made 167 before Kovai chased 168/5. The next match saw Trichy make 197/4 in 19 overs before Dindigul finished on 170/8. |
| Pace vs Spin | Both can succeed. Spinners remain useful through the middle overs, but the Chennai leg has also rewarded good seam and variation bowling. |
| Competitive Total | Around 165-180 looks competitive based on the recent Chennai matches. |
| Toss Factor | Chasing gets a slight edge, especially with possible afternoon rain. |
Cricket World’s TNPL venue data lists an average first-innings total of 159 and a second-innings average of 146 at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
However, this season’s Chennai games have shown that higher scores are possible. Trichy posted 197/4 from 19 overs against Dindigul, while Kovai successfully chased Chepauk’s 167 in the previous match.
CricTracker also expects a relatively good batting surface and projects winning scenarios in the 165-180 range.
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Chennai is expected to reach around 36°C during the day, with very warm conditions around the match start. |
| Sky | Cloudy to overcast conditions are expected during the afternoon. |
| Rain Chance | The rain threat increases around the match window, with showers or thunderstorms possible during the afternoon. |
| Highest Risk | Current hourly forecasts show the main interruption risk around 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM. |
| Humidity | Humid conditions are expected, with one current forecast putting the daily figure around 80%. |
| Overall | A weather interruption is possible. The toss and DLS calculations could therefore become important. |
Current Chennai forecasts agree on a warm, cloudy day with an afternoon rain threat. One forecast expects a high of about 36°C with possible afternoon drizzle, while the Met Office shows a notably higher shower probability around the scheduled match period.
The latest hourly forecast has the rain risk rising around the start of the game before improving later, so a delay or shortened first innings cannot be ruled out.
LKK vs DD Toss Prediction
Bowling first gets the slight preference for LKK vs DD.
Recent TNPL numbers at Chennai give chasing teams a roughly balanced to slightly positive record, while CricTracker’s current match prediction also favours the team batting second.
Today’s weather strengthens that case. With showers or thunderstorms possible during the afternoon, having a known target could become valuable if overs are reduced or the DLS method comes into play.
If Shahrukh Khan (Kovai Kings) wins the toss, bowling first would make sense. Kovai successfully chased 168 against Chepauk in their previous match, with Suresh Lokeshwar scoring 40, S Radhakrishnan 38, Balasubramaniam Sachin 37 and Shahrukh 25.
If Baba Indrajith (Dindigul Dragons) wins the toss, he may also choose to bowl first. Dindigul did exactly that against Trichy in their latest match, although Trichy went on to make 197/4. The possibility of rain makes chasing more attractive today than it was in that game.
Injury and Team News
Lyca/VIDA Kovai Kings
Kovai Kings enter Match 25 with three wins and three defeats. Their season has been inconsistent, but they have found form at the right time with consecutive wins over Trichy Grand Cholas and Chepauk Super Gillies. They currently sit fifth with six points and an excellent +1.140 NRR.
Their turnaround began with the huge 116-run victory over Trichy. Kovai then backed it up at Chennai by restricting Chepauk to 167 and chasing the target in 18.5 overs with five wickets remaining.
Balasubramaniam Sachin remains their standout batter. His 347 runs from six innings make him Kovai’s leading scorer, while Suresh Lokeshwar comes into this match after making 40 against Chepauk.
RS Ambrish also enters with momentum after taking three wickets in the previous match. K Deeban Lingesh leads the team’s season wicket tally with 11 wickets, although current probable-XI sources do not agree on whether he will feature today.
No fresh confirmed injury withdrawal is listed on the current Match 25 squad page. The main concern is the final combination rather than a known new injury.
Key players: Balasubramaniam Sachin, Shahrukh Khan, Suresh Lokeshwar, RS Ambrish, G Kishoor, Manimaran Siddharth and K Deeban Lingesh.
Predicted Kovai Kings XI: Suresh Lokeshwar (wk), S Radhakrishnan, Shahrukh Khan (c), Balasubramaniam Sachin, Madhava Prasad, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, RS Ambrish, G Kishoor, Manimaran Siddharth, R Divakar, H Prashid Akash.
Kovai’s current squad also contains Andre Siddarth C, Maan Bafna, Manav Parakh and other options, so the final combination could still change at the toss.
Dindigul Dragons
Dindigul Dragons are seventh with two wins and four defeats. Their only victories have come against IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans and Salem Spartans. Losses against Nellai, Chepauk, Madurai and Trichy have left them on four points with one league game remaining.
Their best batting performance came in the rain-shortened match against Salem. Dindigul smashed 239/6 from 15 overs, with Baba Indrajith making 73 from 25 balls, VK Vineeth 45 from 20, Shivam Singh 38 from 15 and Vimal Khumar 35 from 17. They won that game by 82 runs.
Dindigul then struggled against Trichy at Chennai. Trichy posted 197/4 in a 19-over innings before Dindigul were held to 170/8. Shivam Singh top-scored with 47 and Baba Indrajith made 32.
Vimal Khumar is Dindigul’s leading run-scorer with 182 runs, while P Bhuvaneswaran leads their wicket chart with eight.
Varun Chakaravarthy is available and played the previous match, so there is no longer a fitness concern around his selection. He bowled his full four overs against Trichy and conceded 34 runs.
No fresh confirmed injury absence appears on the Match 25 squad page. All six Dindigul players in the supplied Dream11 combination are in the current squad.
Key players: Baba Indrajith, Vimal Khumar, Shivam Singh, P Bhuvaneswaran, Varun Chakaravarthy, M Viju Arul and VK Vineeth.
Predicted Dindigul Dragons XI: VK Vineeth, Shivam Singh, Baba Indrajith (c, wk), Vimal Khumar, Hunny Saini, Mohit Mittan, Nirankar Sharma, P Bhuvaneswaran, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sandeep Warrier, M Viju Arul.
Fantasy update: The supplied Dream11 team is well supported by the current squad information. Balasubramaniam Sachin is the strongest captain choice based on his 347 runs and 57.83 average, while Baba Indrajith remains a sensible vice-captain because of his batting role and wicketkeeping. RS Ambrish, Shivam Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy are also useful options based on recent involvement. The final XI should still be checked after the toss because afternoon rain could influence team balance and playing conditions.
