The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL 2024) will kickstart from today (July 5).
The new and eighth season of Tamil Nadu’s premier domestic league, the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL 2024) will kickstart from today (July 5).
The TNPL, over the years, has seen a great talent pool and has given a platform for young talents in Southern India to showcase their mettle.
Not only that, some players who have enjoyed breakout TNPL seasons have gone on to earn lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) contracts.
The past editions of the tournament have seen tremendous success, with high-octane matches and raw talents.
In this article, we take a look at the 12 IPL stars who will be a part of TNPL 2024.
Varun Chakravarthy took the IPL by storm in his debut season with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020. He is currently an integral part of the defending IPL champions after he played a crucial role in helping the KKR franchise to their third IPL title earlier this year.
Chakravarthy finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the league with a stellar 21 scalps to his name.
Chakravarthy has previously also represented India internationally in the T20 format.
Ravichandran Ashwin is probably the biggest IPL star set to feature in TNPL 2024. With a vast experience in his kitty, he is once again expected to dazzle with his smart bowling and guile.
Ashwin, who plies his trade for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL will be seen playing for the Dindigul Dragons in TNPL 2024 and will also be captaining the side. Ashwin will be seen pairing up with mystery pacer Varun Chakravarthy, who is also part of the Dindigul franchise.
Sandeep Warrier is an experienced campaigner who can swing the ball both ways and provide breakthroughs for his team in Powerplay overs.
Sandeep Warrier represented Gujarat Titans in the recent IPL 2024 season, coming in as a replacement for talismanic pacer Mohammed Shami. He picked up six wickets in five matches at an economy of 10.82.
Talented all-rounder Vijay Shankar has played several crucial knocks with the bat in both TNPL and IPL. He has also donned the India jersey and represented the tricolour across formats.
Currently, he is a part of the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League.
The dynamic pacer made his TNPL debut in the inaugural edition of the competition and his stellar performance earned him a call from IPL franchise Punjab Kings (PBKS). In 2018, he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and has been a part of the Orange Army since then.
Natarajan was seen in terrific bowling form in IPL 2024. He picked up 19 wickets in 14 matches and helped the Sunrisers Hyderabad in reaching the final where they lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders.
R Sai Kishore has experienced a highly successful period recently. He led Tamil Nadu to the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy, finishing as the leading wicket-taker. Additionally, he made significant contributions for the Gujarat Titans (GT) during the IPL 2024.
Lately, his batting has shown marked improvement. In the previous TNPL season, Sai Kishore accumulated 122 runs across five innings, including one fifty at a strike rate of 167.12. While not yet classified as a fully-fledged all-rounder, this season could witness his evolution into that role, solidifying his position as a key player to monitor.
His prowess as a bowler is already well-established. The left-arm spinner took seven wickets in six matches last season, maintaining an economy rate of 6.83.
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The left-handed opening batter, who plies his trade for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL will play for Lyca Kovai Kings in TNPL 2024. He enjoyed a sublime campaign with the bat, managing 527 runs in 12 matches, comprising two fifties and a century and an impressive average of 47.
Sudarshan will hope to replicate his form in the upcoming TNPL season and make a strong claim for the India opening slot, especially after the retirement of star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the shortest format.
Shahrukh Khan’s performance with the ball was a notable highlight, finishing as the top wicket-taker of TNPL 2023 with 17 dismissals and an economy rate of 6.66. His effective off-spin adds significant value to his role as captain of the defending champions.
While his bowling showed improvement, Shahrukh Khan’s primary strength remains his powerful batting. Despite a modest TNPL 2023 season where he scored 133 runs in seven innings, his strike rate stood at an impressive 190.
His domestic season wasn’t exceptional, and his debut IPL season with the Gujarat Titans (GT) was moderately successful. He aims to use this opportunity to regain his top form.
Manimaran Siddharth grabbed attention when he took the wicket of the star batter Virat Kohli during the IPL 2024, marking his sole wicket in the tournament. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) secured his services for INR 2.4 crores in the IPL 2024 auction.
Siddharth made his debut in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) in 2017, where the left-arm spinner impressed everyone by accumulating 34 wickets across 37 matches.
With Ravindra Jadeja no longer part of India’s T20I squad, the coming months are pivotal for Washington Sundar. The all-rounder is under the selectors’ watch due to his skills and potential, but his form and injuries have been issues.
Thus, the upcoming TNPL tournament is crucial for him to secure his place in the Indian team. Despite missing part of the tournament due to his commitments with the Indian team on the Zimbabwe tour, he can significantly contribute to the Siechem Madurai Panthers upon his return.
Batting higher up the order in the TNPL provides him the opportunity to demonstrate his batting prowess. He needs this exposure, having played just two matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2024 IPL. In the last TNPL season, he scored 119 runs in five innings, averaging 39.66 with a strike rate of 138.
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Murugan Ashwin, who spent several years as a net bowler for the Chennai Super Kings, gained recognition when he secured a significant bid from the Rising Pune Supergiants in 2015. Following this, he was acquired by Delhi and then by the Punjab Kings for INR 20 lakhs before the IPL 2019 season.
Although he participated in 10 games that season, he struggled with wicket-taking, achieving only 5 dismissals. However, he made a notable comeback in 2020, taking 10 wickets in 9 matches for PBKS. His last IPL appearance was in 2021.
One of the key players behind RCB’s remarkable turnaround in the IPL 2024, Swapnil Singh, impressed with his left-arm spin bowling and his ability to maintain tight lines with the new ball. Although his batting skills weren’t frequently required due to RCB’s strong top order, he is capable of making valuable contributions with the bat as well.
In the TNPL 2023, Swapnil scored 150 runs for the Siachem Madurai Panthers, averaging 25 with a strike rate of 131.57. On the bowling front, he took five wickets in eight matches, maintaining an economy rate of 6.79.
Buoyed by the confidence from his notable IPL performance, Swapnil Singh is undoubtedly an all-rounder to keep an eye on in the upcoming TNPL season.
