Match no. 7 of the KCA TCM Pink T20 Challengers Trophy 2025 will feature a face-off between KCA Ruby vs KCA Emerald. KCA Ruby who are yet to open their account in this year’s competition will take on KCA Emerald who are seeded 2nd on the points table. Both teams have lost their previous encounters and would want to bring on some positivity going ahead in the 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 Emerald
Ameera Beegum, Malavika Sabu, Neha Sivi, Reyna Rose, Sayoojya Salilan, Aleena Surendran, Ishitha Shani, Najla Noushad, Nithya Loordh, Niyati R Mahesh, Renjusha A, Reshmi C, Vyshna MP, Aleena M P, Anushka C V, Niranjana S Nair, Nivedya Mol, Sandra Suren, Vishnu Priya P
Players to watch out:
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. With 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 recently picked a 4-fer in her previous outing against KCA Amber by picking 4 wickets in her 4 overs spell and giving away just 23 runs.
Akhila Ponnukuttan
This 22-year-old southpaw and the skipper of KCA Ruby has been impressive in and out throughout the tournament. Akhila has scored some crucial runs in the tournament and looks to lead the team from the front. Akhila has two 30+ scores in the last 5 innings which is a positive sign for KCA Ruby and company. She has also crossed the mark of 50+ runs in just 4 innings which can turn out to be a positive for KCA Ruby and Akhila going ahead into the tournament.
Najla Noushad
Captain of KCA Emerald Najla Noushad has been prolific with her batting skills and some handy wrist spin. Noushad was striking at 170 with four fours and five sixes against KCA Amber in the second match of this season. Noushad recently scored 21 runs in her previous outing while picking 2 wickets in her 3 overs spell. She is a vital cog in this KCA Emerald unit both with the bat and ball. With just two games done in this season for Noushad’s led side she has already scored 79 runs in both the games combined and 4 wickets too.
Vyshna MP:
This 22-year-old wicket-keeper batter has been impressive with her batting against KCA Amber in a recent game. She took the game deep and played a sensible knock to set the stage for the other to come and score big runs. An innings like this will definitely set the tone for Vyshna for the rest of the tournament. Vyshna has been an impactful opener for her side and has looked good in the previous two games.
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 8.
Weather:
The temperature is forecasted to hover around 30°C with average humidity to be around 75% and gradually decreases as the match progresses. No rain interruptions and delays are expected throughout the match.
Fantasy Playing XI:
I Vasudevan Drishya, Adhila A, Vinaya Surendran, Sreekrishna Haridas, Malavika Sabu, Najla Noushad, Niyati R Mahesh, Vyshna MP, Aleena M P, Anushka C V, Akhila Ponnukuttan
Match details:
Date – May 8, 2025
Time – 8:45 AM IST
Venue – St. Xavier’s College Ground, Thumba
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
