Nellai Royal Kings vs Salem Spartans Prediction & Match Preview – TNPL 24th Match

Nellai Royal Kings meet Salem Spartans in the 24th match of the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, with a 7:30 pm local start on Thursday.

Nellai arrive in good heart. They edged past Vida Kovai Kings by two wickets, reaching 163 with a single ball in hand. Rithik Easwaran led the chase with 69 off 31 balls, U Mukilesh made 26 off 25 and Athish SR added 14 off 10. Valliappan Yudheeswaran took 3/25 in his four overs, Sachin Rathi and Emmanuel Cherian took two wickets each, and NS Harish conceded just 28 from his four.

Salem are in a tougher place. They lost by 81 runs to Dindigul Dragons, finishing on 158/8 while chasing a revised target of 240 in a 15-over match. S Abishiek hit 38 off 18, Mohammed made 19 off 10 and Eshwar M struck 18 off eight, while Rajendran Vivek took 3/22 in two overs and Karthick Manikandan took 2/34. After five consecutive defeats, they need more consistency with bat and ball.

With confidence on one side and a losing run on the other, our preview favours Nellai Royal Kings.

Pitch report

The Chennai pitch is balanced but slightly slow and usually assists spinners, mainly in the middle overs. The new ball can bring pacers some help, and cutters and slower balls get more effective as the surface wears. Batting is easiest in the powerplay. A first-innings score of 160–175 is competitive, and 170-plus gives a strong platform. Dew may let the ball skid on under lights, which could favour a chasing team.

Weather

Warm and humid weather is forecast, with temperatures of about 30°C and partly cloudy skies. The chance of rain in the evening looks low. Moderate winds should offer some relief and dew could form in the second innings if conditions stay dry.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 160–175
• 2nd innings: 150–165

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