Sibin Gireesh’s All‑Round Brilliance Powers Alleppey Ripples to 74‑Run Win Over Kochi Blue Tigers in KCL 2026

Alleppey Ripples secured a commanding 74‑run victory over Kochi Blue Tigers in the 14th match of the Kerala Cricket League 2026, with Sibin Gireesh playing a pivotal role at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

The season’s most expensive acquisition shone with both bat and ball, driving the Ripples to a dominant win.

Rain curtailed the game to seven overs per side, and Alleppey Ripples posted a formidable 125/1. The abbreviated format demanded an explosive start, which the Ripples delivered before their bowlers sealed a commanding performance.

Sibin Gireesh smashed 37 runs from just eight balls, hitting one four and six sixes. Vice‑captain Mohammad Azharuddeen supported with an unbeaten 51 off 24 deliveries.

Kochi Blue Tigers never recovered from a shaky start to the chase, collapsing to 51/9 in their seven overs. Ripples’ bowlers struck consistently, with Akhil Dev V claiming four wickets.

Sibin was especially effective in the middle overs, finishing with figures of 3/22 from two overs, dismissing Karthik B Nair, Manu Krishnan and N Mohammed Ashik. His spell kept Kochi under constant pressure and prevented any momentum in the chase.

Gireesh’s three‑wicket haul was crucial because Manu Krishnan was the only Kochi batsman to offer real resistance. Manu scored 22 off 13 balls, including five fours, before Gireesh removed him to break the only substantial partnership Kochi had built. He then dismissed Mohammed Ashik without giving the batter a chance to settle.

Kochi’s batting lineup crumbled remarkably. Vinoop Manoharan, Jobin Joby, Sachin Suresh and Anandhu Sunil all fell for single‑digit scores, while Karthik B Nair recorded a two‑ball duck at the hands of Gireesh. Captain Saly Viswanadh Samson managed seven runs off three balls, including a six, but could not alter the outcome.

The win propels Alleppey Ripples to the top of the table with six points from five matches, while Kochi Blue Tigers remain winless at the bottom with just two points after five games.

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