Tiruppur Tamizhans coach R.X. Muralidhar and captain R. Sai Kishore at a press conference on the eve of Tamil Nadu Premier League.
| Photo Credit: G. KARTHIKEYAN
The Tamil Nadu Premier League, during the early stages of its existence, served as the trendsetter for franchise-based T20 tournaments in India.
By providing a launchpad for up-and-coming talent, TNPL unearthed gems like T. Natarajan and Varun Chakaravarthy, who went on to raise the bar in the years that followed. In recent seasons, however, there were hardly any players who knocked on the doors of IPL franchises.
Former Tamil Nadu white-ball captain R. Sai Kishore felt that the decrease in numbers was not due to the dearth of top quality in the league.
“It is not just because of TNPL. Talents have always been coming out of TNPL. TN, as a team, must win the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (T20) and Vijay Hazare Trophy (50 overs). Once we do that, the situation will be different at the IPL or National level. Talent is certainly important, but scouts do not just look at talent. TN has to start winning tournaments (for better recognition),” said Sai Kishore, who led iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans to the TNPL crown last season.
The TNPL franchises are also indirectly preparing their players for sterner examinations. Tamizhans head coach R.X. Muralidhar revealed an interesting tactic used by his team to get the batters out of their comfort zone. “When we play practice matches, we have an extra fielder. We place that fielder in the batter’s area of strength. We want to see how one responds to pressure. To me, mindset matters more than skills,” Muralidhar said.
Who will rise when it matters?
Published – August 03, 2026 09:32 pm IST
