VIDA Kovai Kings, shown as LKK in the supplied Dream11 team, face IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans in the Eliminator of the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2026 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday, August 24. The knockout match starts at 7:30 PM IST. The winner advances to Qualifier 2, while the losing team’s season ends.
Both teams finished the league stage with identical 4-3 records and eight points. Kovai secured third place thanks to a strong +1.638 net run rate, while Tiruppur finished fourth with an NRR of -0.013. Kovai therefore enter the Eliminator with the stronger overall league-stage numbers.
Recent momentum also favours Kovai. They closed the league stage with three straight victories, including an 85-run DLS win over Dindigul Dragons in which Shahrukh Khan smashed an unbeaten 59 from 18 balls and Jhathavedh Subramanyan took 4/12. Tiruppur, meanwhile, lost their final league game to Salem Spartans by 45 runs despite Tushar Raheja scoring 75.
LKK vs ITT Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | VIDA Kovai Kings vs IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, Eliminator |
| Series | Tamil Nadu Premier League 2026 |
| Date | Monday, 24 August 2026 |
| Time | 7:30 PM IST / 2:00 PM GMT |
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Format | T20, 20 overs per side |
| Captains | Shahrukh Khan (LKK/VKK), Tushar Raheja (ITT) |
| League Finish | LKK/VKK: 3rd, 8 points, +1.638 NRR; ITT: 4th, 8 points, -0.013 NRR |
| Recent Form | LKK: L, L, W, W, W. ITT: W, L, W, W, L |
| H2H | 7 meetings: Kovai Kings 4 wins, Tiruppur Tamizhans 3 wins |
The teams have met seven times in the TNPL, with Kovai holding a narrow 4-3 overall advantage.
Tiruppur, however, won their league-stage meeting this season. Kovai posted 166/8, before ITT reached 167/6 in 18 overs to win by four wickets. Amit Sathvik led that chase with a rapid 66 from 29 balls.
Dream11 Team for LKK vs ITT, Eliminator
Top Picks for LKK vs ITT, Eliminator
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tushar Raheja | ITT | C / WK-Batter | The tournament’s leading run-scorer with 419 runs from seven matches at an average of 69.83 and strike rate of 193.09. He also leads the tournament with 34 sixes and comes in after scoring 75 against Salem. |
| Balasubramaniam Sachin | LKK | VC / Batter | Second on the TNPL 2026 run chart with 377 runs from seven innings, averaging 62.83 at a strike rate of 167.56. He is the safest Kovai batting pick on season form. |
| Shahrukh Khan | LKK | Batter | Shahrukh has scored 177 runs this season and enters the Eliminator after blasting an unbeaten 59 from only 18 balls against Dindigul, including six sixes. |
| Amit Sathvik | ITT | WK-Batter | Sathvik has 217 runs at a strike rate of 212.75, the best strike rate among the leading run-scorers. He also smashed 66 from 29 balls against Kovai in the league-stage meeting. |
| Jhathavedh Subramanyan | LKK | Bowler | A major alternative outside the supplied XI. He has 13 wickets in TNPL 2026 and destroyed Dindigul with 4/12 from three overs in Kovai’s previous game. |
| M Mathivannan | ITT | Bowler | A useful lower-credit option from the screenshot. He produced 3/18 against Madurai, showing how effective he can be when the surface offers grip. |
K Deeban Lingesh is another strong alternative if you want more bowling depth. He has taken 12 wickets, while Jhathavedh has 13. Both rank among the competition’s leading wicket-takers.
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
| Pitch Type | A balanced T20 surface that can slow as the game progresses. Batters can score once set, while spinners and bowlers using changes of pace remain important. |
| Average 1st Innings Score | 159 in TNPL matches at the venue |
| Average 2nd Innings Score | 146 |
| Chasing Record | Current venue analysis gives chasing teams around a 54% win rate |
| Spin Factor | Spin has already had a major impact during the Chennai leg. Jhathavedh took 4/12 here in Kovai’s previous match, while Mathivannan has also produced a three-wicket spell at Chepauk. |
| Competitive Score | Around 160-175 should be competitive in normal 20-over conditions, although rain could change the par score considerably. |
Cricket World’s current TNPL ground data puts the average first-innings score at 159 and the second-innings average at 146.
Recent games show that the surface can still produce quick scoring. Kovai reached 171/3 from 16 overs against Dindigul, with Shahrukh’s late hitting pushing the rate above ten an over. In response, Jhathavedh and Manimaran Siddharth exploited the conditions to help dismiss Dindigul for 93.
Tiruppur’s latest Chennai outing was very different. Salem made 169/8 before ITT were restricted to 124/9, despite Raheja’s 75. That result shows that chasing at Chepauk is far from automatic if wickets fall around the set batter.
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Around the high 20s to low 30s during the evening |
| Sky | Mostly cloudy conditions are expected |
| 6 PM Rain Chance | Around 46% |
| 7 PM Rain Chance | Around 49% |
| 8 PM Rain Chance | Around 58%, with rain currently forecast |
| 9 PM Rain Chance | Around 49% |
| 10 PM Rain Chance | Around 53%, with another period of rain possible |
| Overall | Rain is a genuine threat during the Eliminator. A delay, shortened match or DLS involvement cannot be ruled out. |
Chennai’s broader match-day forecast also calls for cloudy conditions with spotty showers and possible thunder, with a daytime high around 34-35°C.
The key point for fantasy users is that the rain threat continues into the actual match window, rather than being limited to the afternoon. That increases the value of top-order batters and bowlers who are likely to complete most of their overs even in a shortened contest.
LKK vs ITT Toss Prediction
Bowling first gets the preference for the Eliminator.
Recent venue analysis gives chasing teams a modest edge of around 54%, while today’s rain forecast makes a known target even more valuable.
There is also a strong recent precedent in this matchup. When Kovai and Tiruppur met on August 11, ITT won the toss, chose to bowl and successfully chased 167 in only 18 overs. Amit Sathvik’s 66 from 29 balls gave them the platform for that victory.
If Shahrukh Khan (VIDA Kovai Kings) wins the toss, expect him to consider bowling first because of the weather. Kovai have plenty of bowling options through Jhathavedh Subramanyan, K Deeban Lingesh, Manimaran Siddharth, G Kishoor and RS Ambrish. Their top order has also shown enough form to back itself in a chase.
If Tushar Raheja (IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans) wins the toss, bowling first also looks sensible. Tiruppur successfully chased against Kovai earlier this season and have Raheja and Amit Sathvik at the top of the order. Their previous league-stage wins over Chepauk, Nellai, Kovai and Madurai also included several successful chases.
If conditions are completely dry at the toss, batting first becomes more defensible because a knockout pitch at Chepauk can slow later. The final decision should therefore depend heavily on the radar and surface moisture.
Injury and Team News
VIDA Kovai Kings
Kovai finished third after an unusual league campaign. They won their opener against Salem, then suffered three consecutive defeats against Madurai, Tiruppur and Nellai. Their season turned dramatically after that.
They crushed Trichy by 116 runs, beat Chepauk by five wickets and then defeated Dindigul by 85 runs under the DLS method. Those three wins lifted them to eight points and a tournament-best level NRR of +1.638 among the playoff sides below the top two.
Their latest performance was especially convincing. S Radhakrishnan made 24, Suresh Lokeshwar scored 31 and Balasubramaniam Sachin remained unbeaten on 30 before Shahrukh Khan exploded for 59 not out from 18 balls. Kovai finished on 171/3 from the rain-reduced 16 overs.
The bowling attack then dominated. Jhathavedh Subramanyan took 4/12, Manimaran Siddharth claimed two wickets and K Deeban Lingesh added another as Dindigul were bowled out for 93.
All six Kovai players in the supplied Dream11 XI featured in that game: Suresh Lokeshwar, Balasubramaniam Sachin, Shahrukh Khan, S Radhakrishnan, G Kishoor and Manimaran Siddharth. That makes the Kovai side of the fantasy combination relatively secure before the toss.
No fresh confirmed injury-related withdrawal is listed on the current Eliminator squad page.
Key players: Balasubramaniam Sachin, Shahrukh Khan, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, K Deeban Lingesh, Suresh Lokeshwar and Manimaran Siddharth.
Predicted VIDA Kovai Kings XI: S Radhakrishnan, Suresh Lokeshwar (wk), Balasubramaniam Sachin, Andre Siddarth C, Shahrukh Khan (c), RS Ambrish, Madhava Prasad, Manimaran Siddharth, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, G Kishoor, K Deeban Lingesh.
IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans
Tiruppur finished fourth with four wins and three defeats.
They lost their opening game against Dindigul before producing three consecutive wins over Chepauk Super Gillies, Nellai Royal Kings and Kovai Kings. Trichy ended that streak, but Tiruppur then beat Madurai by four wickets to reach eight points. A 45-run defeat against Salem in the final league match left them fourth because of their lower NRR.
Tushar Raheja has clearly been their standout player. He leads the entire competition with 419 runs, including 34 sixes. His latest innings of 75 from 43 balls came when almost every other Tiruppur batter struggled against Salem.
Amit Sathvik is another major threat. He has scored 217 runs while striking at 212.75, and his 66 from 29 balls was the key innings when Tiruppur beat Kovai earlier this season.
The current Eliminator squad contains Tushar Raheja, Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, M Mathivannan, T Natarajan, R Silambarasan and S Mohan Prasath, among others.
One important change is at captaincy level. Cricbuzz’s current Eliminator squad lists Tushar Raheja as captain and wicketkeeper. R Sai Kishore, who captained Tiruppur earlier in the tournament, is not listed in Cricbuzz’s current match squad. The available match page does not state the reason for his absence, so it would be inaccurate to label it an injury without confirmation.
The supplied Dream11 combination is therefore unaffected by Sai Kishore’s current absence because he is not one of the selected 11 players.
Key players: Tushar Raheja, Amit Sathvik, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, M Mathivannan, R Silambarasan and T Natarajan.
Predicted IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans XI: Amit Sathvik, Tushar Raheja (c, wk), Wafar K, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Mohamed Ali, Uthirasamy Sasidev, S Ganesh, M Mathivannan, S Mohan Prasath, R Silambarasan, T Natarajan.
Fantasy update: The supplied Dream11 combination is well aligned with the latest squads. Tushar Raheja is the strongest captain choice based on his tournament-leading 419 runs, while Balasubramaniam Sachin is a strong vice-captain with 377 runs at an average of 62.83. Amit Sathvik is another high-upside option because of his 212.75 strike rate. If you want to strengthen the bowling side of the team, Jhathavedh Subramanyan is the biggest omission from the screenshot after taking 13 wickets and 4/12 in Kovai’s previous game.
