It’s match No.6 of the KCA TCM Pink T20 Challengers Trophy 2025 hosted in Thumba, Kerala. KCA Ruby will go head-to-head against former Champions KCA Sapphire in an intense clash. The game is scheduled to be played on 7th of May 2025 at the St. Xavier’s College Ground in Thumba, starting at 12:45 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
KCA Ruby would want to be crowned Champions this season with being one of the teams to have not won the Championship yet. They have lost their first encounter against KCA Pearl in the season’s opener and would want to bounce back hard after the first loss.
On the other hand, KCA Sapphire too didn’t have the best of the seasons last year and will look to try and bounce back hard this year. The first positive coming for team Sapphire this season is that they’ve won their opening game against the KCA Emerald by 4 wickets. KCA Sapphire, who had a few setbacks last year will want to capitalize this year’s tournament.
Squads:
KCA Ruby
I Vasudevan Drishya, Ananya Nair, Sourabhya P, Akhila Ponnukuttan, Ajanya T P, Ashima Antony, Vinaya Surendran, Adhila A, Sreekrishna Haridas, S Gowrinandana, Badra Parameshwaran, Anvitha RV, Nandini P T, Theertha K R, Keren Jose, Abina M, Mayuka Vinod Nair, Parvathy Kunjumon, Theertha Suresh
KCA Sapphire
Aleena Shibu, Gopika Gayathri Devi, Souparnika B, Abhirami P Binu, Aiswarya A K, Akshaya S, Akshaya Sadanandan, Shreya Roy, Tesiya P, Ananya Pradeep, Ivana Shani, Lekshmi Sumesh, Anaswara Santosh, Anusree Anil Kumar, Manasvi Potti, Pavithra R Nair, Prithika Prayaga, Swafiya, Yadhupriya
Players to watch out:
I Vasudevan Drishya
This 25-year-old wicket-keeper batter, also the skipper of KCA Ruby, has been impressive with the bat scoring bulk of the runs for teams she has been a part of. Drishya is also known to keep the scoreboard ticking and keep the opposition thinking on trying various tricks. Drishya is an integral part of this unit. She has scored a total of 112 runs in her previous five outings. She was also the highest scorer for KCA Ruby in the season’s opener against KCA Pearl this season. She is one of those few batters to have scored more than 100 runs in their previous few outings. She is someone who keeps the scoreboard ticking and runs flowing.
Vinaya Surendran
This 31-year-old slow left-arm orthodox bowler is a vital composition in this unit. Vinaya is known to have an immense variety of deliveries to challenge the batters. A total of 10 wickets in her previous five outings in both One Dayers and T20s Vinaya stands out as key bowler in this attack. She registered a fifer in her last T20 outing in October 2024. Vinaya is an economical bowler and has figures of 5 for 14 against Chandigarh Women in List A Cricket. In one of the games against Sikkim Women, Vinaya picked 4 wickets by just giving away 5 runs in her four overs spell.
Aiswarya A K
The 21-year-old all-rounder with left arm orthodox has been impressive in picking wickets and providing breakthroughs at regular intervals for the KCA Sapphire. Aiswarya in her previous five outings has picked up 8 wickets in just 15 overs bowled combined and has been economical throughout. She has also scored 25 runs in 4 innings coming to bat at number 10. Aiswarya has been an impressive prospect to this side and leads the spin attack from front. She has already delivered this season’s special bowling performance by picking 3 wickets in her 4 overs spell and just giving 14 runs in the first encounter against KCA Emerald.
Gopika Gayathri Devi
Gopika Gayathri Devi has been an impressive prospect for the KCA Sapphire team coming to bat number 7. Devi is known to play the finishing role for the side coming in and playing some crucial and power hitting strokes at the backend innings. It was Devi who scored heavily in the last game against KCA Emerald with two fours and three sixes striking at 218.75. Devi scored 35 runs in just 16 deliveries. It was Devi who took the KCA Sapphire team over the line in their first encounter. Devi has scored a total of 69 runs in the last 4 outings which give immense boost to Devi as well as the whole team.
Pitch:
At St. Xavier’s College Ground, the boundary lengths vary depending on the direction, with straight boundaries often being longer compared to those on the square. The average score in the last 10 games at Thumba is 97 runs whereas average wickets taken here is 7.
Weather:
The temperature is forecasted to hover around 32°C with 10% precipitation and clear skies promise an uninterrupted game. Average humidity would be around 68% gradually increasing to 75% as the match progresses.
Fantasy Playing XI:
I Vasudevan Drishya, Vinaya Surendran, Adhila A, Sreekrishna Haridas, S Gowrinandana, Aiswarya A K, Pavithra Nair, Gopika Gayathri Devi, Anaswara Santosh, Anusree Sunil Kumar, Akhila Ponnukuttan
Match details:
Date – May 7, 2025
Time – 12:45 PM IST
Venue – St. Xavier’s College Ground, Thumba
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
