Did you watch the Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024? If not, here’s a quick throwback for you!
Since its inception in 2016, the TNPL has grown significantly in popularity. The league is organised by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and serves as a crucial platform for young and emerging talent in the state to showcase their skills.
It is a men’s Twenty20 cricket league, held every year in the state of Tamil Nadu. The M.A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chennai serves as the home ground for the league.
Each passing year, the TNPL produces some thrilling cricket matches and some talented young players.
The league recently had its eighth season in 2024 across five different venues. Let us look at what all transpired.
Overview of TNPL 2024
The Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024 season kicked off on 5 July this year, continuing the tradition of being held during the Indian monsoon season. The league featured eight teams representing different districts of Tamil Nadu:
- Chepauk Super Gillies
- Dindigul Dragons
- Lyca Kovai Kings
- Siechem Madurai Panthers
- Trichy Grand Cholas
- SKM Salem Spartans
- Nellai Royal Kings
- IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans
These teams competed in a round-robin format, followed by playoffs, to determine the ultimate champion of the season.
Winning Team
At the Tamil Nadu Premier League’s final match on 4th August 2024, Dindigul Dragons competed against Lyca Kovai Kings, the trophy winners of the 2023 season.
Dindigul Dragons won the match by a considerable margin of six wickets.
The winning team scored 11 fours and 5 sixes. Additionally, they had an impressive strike rate of 195.91 in the final match of the season.
The captain of the Dindigul Dragons, R. Ashwin delivered a star performance and was awarded the title of the player of the match.
Key Highlights
The final match of Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024 showcased some exciting performances, especially by players of Dindigul Dragons.
The Dragons delivered a strong start with an impressive powerplay score.
M Sarath Kumar left the crowd in awe with some jaw-dropping catches.
R. Ashwin was in his best form and hit three half-centuries in a row, creating hat-trick history for the Dindigul Dragons.
Baba Inderjit delivered steady innings and added to the win.
Teams that excelled
The Dindigul Dragons are the current champions of the TNPL 2024. This is their first win since the inauguration of the TNPL. However, they have consistently performed well in all seasons.
Chepauk Super Gillies is the most successful team in the TNPL, with four trophies to its name acquired in the years 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
Lyca Kovai Kings is the second most successful and consistent team in the league. The franchise has won the title twice, in 2022 and 2023.
Remarkable Players in the TNPL
In recent years, the TNPL has seen participation from some remarkable cricketers who have featured in the IPL and even represented India in international cricket. Here are some of these gems.
Narayan Jagadeesan
Narayan Jagadeesan AKA Jaggi is a wicket-keeper batsman from Tamil Nadu. The player made his smashing debut in the inaugural edition of the TNPL where he won the Player of the Tournament award scoring 397 runs.
Thereafter, he joined Chennai Super Kings in the IPL where he spent five years before moving to Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023.
He played for Chepauk Super Gillies in the TNPL 2024.
T. Natarajan
T. Natarajan is a left-arm fast bowler. The player made his TNPL debut in the inaugural edition of the league in 2016.
His impressive performance earned him a call from the Punjab Kings IPL franchise. In 2018, he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he blossomed and went on to make his international debut for India in 2020.
Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan is an exceptional right-handed batter who made a name for himself in the TNPL.
As a result of his jaw-dropping performance, he got picked in the IPL 2021 auction by Punjab Kings and has been a mainstay in their squad since then.
Washington Sundar
Washington Sundar is a bowling allrounder and a TNPL gem who went on to play for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. Additionally, he represented India internationally with his T20I debut in 2017.
Vijay Shankar
Vijay Shankar is a middle-order batsman and a notable player to come out of the TNPL. His performance in the league earned him a call-up to represent India internationally.
He was part of the Indian squad at the 2019 World Cup and also played a crucial role in Gujarat Titans winning their first IPL.
Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy Vinod played for Dindigul Dragons in the TNPL 2024. Additionally, he was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
Varun is Tamil Nadu’s remarkable asset and has represented India internationally in the T20 format.
Sai Sudharsan
Bhardwaj Sai Sudharsan plays for the TNPL in domestic cricket and for Gujarat Titans in the IPL.
The player attracted several eyeballs in IPL 2023 with his stellar performance. He scored 362 runs at an average of 51.71 and played an important role for his team in the IPL finals. He represented Lyca Kovai Kings in TNPL 2024.
Conclusion
The TNPL 2024 season was a smashing success. The league drew large crowds at the five designated venues.
Overall, the TNPL is an exciting endeavour that leads to the discovery of talent from the grassroots of Tamil Nadu.
Additionally, it provides an excellent platform for the cricket stars of tomorrow. This is evident as many players of the Tamil Nadu league went on to represent India internationally.
With its continued focus on nurturing young talent, the TNPL is set to further cement its place as one of India’s premier regional T20 leagues, among other leagues like the Pondicherry T20 League and the UP Cricket League.
Whether you are a die-hard cricket fan or a casual viewer, the TNPL 2024 has moments for everyone.
