Batting first, Kerala Super Kings showcased intent right from the outset. Opener Abbas KT set the tone with a blistering 42 off just 20 balls, peppering the boundary ropes with nine fours. His fearless strokeplay against the new ball rattled the Thrissur attack early. Although Faisal TK fell cheaply, Azeem Ashraf anchored the innings with a mature 42 off 36 balls, mixing aggression with calculated patience. His partnership with Abbas steadied the innings before both perished in quick succession. The middle order, led by Jermaine Fernandes (17 off 17) and Harikrishna (27 off 18), kept the scoreboard ticking. Harikrishna’s back-to-back sixes off Shamz in the 18th over proved crucial in pushing the total beyond 170. Despite losing wickets in clusters during the final overs, Kerala’s batting depth carried them to an imposing 173/8 after 20 overs.

The Thrissur bowlers toiled hard on a flat wicket that offered little assistance. Leander Daryl Paul stood out with figures of 3 for 24, exploiting the slower deliveries cleverly to pick key middle-order wickets. Shamz and Shahir Mohammed chipped in with a wicket apiece but leaked runs at the death. Thrissur’s fielding, however, lacked sharpness, dropping a couple of half-chances that allowed Kerala to maintain momentum through the innings.