Andre Siddarth celebrated his 20th birthday in style, smashing a stunning 47-ball 82 (7×4, 5×6) to power Vida Kovai Kings to its third TNPL title with a 84-run win over Madurai Panthers in the summit clash at the MAC Stadium on Friday.

It was a remarkable turnaround for M. Shahrukh Khan’s men, who had just one win from the first four games before stringing together five consecutive victories to emerge triumphant in the 10th edition.

Electing to bat, Kovai Kings made 182 for seven, riding on a 117-run stand for the third wicket between Andre and B. Sachin.

After openers S. Radhakrishnan and S. Lokeshwar got the team off to a breezy start, Andre maintained the momentum by playing some stylish strokes. The tall youngster, blessed with a great sense of timing, cut and punched through square elegantly.

Andre had a slice of luck when he was dropped on 44 by ‘keeper Ramkumar off Rohan Bhutra, and he gleefully accepted the birthday gift by bringing up his half-century in 34 deliveries.

He then cut loose, first going after pacer G. Periyasamy, picking his slower deliveries early and depositing them over the ropes for a brace of maximums. He then did the same to Rohan in the next over, racing into the 70s. Though Panthers pulled things back in the last five overs through P. Saravanan’s four for 30, Andre and Sachin had by then done enough to get a competitive score on board.

Chasing 183, Panthers’ chase went awry immediately after pacer Deeban Lingesh and spinner M. Siddharth sent back the openers in the first two overs. N.S. Chaturved and V. Hari Ragavendra tried to rebuild the innings, but the latter was run-out attempting a needless single in the final over of the PowerPlay.

From there, Jhathavedh Subramanyan and Shahrukh broke through the middle-order and bowled their side to glory.

The scores: Vida Kovai Kings 182/7 in 20 overs (B. Sachin 39, Andre Siddarth 82, P. Saravanan 4/30) bt Madurai Panthers 98 in 14.2 overs (N.S. Chaturved 40, Deeban Lingesh 2/30, M. Siddharth 3/18, Shahrukh Khan 3/10).

Player-of-the-final: Andre Siddarth. Player-of-the-tournament: B. Sachin.

In a serious breach of anti-corruption regulations, a player in the ongoing Tamil Nadu Premier League has come under the BCCI’s Anti-Corruption Unit scanner.

He was found to be in possession of a mobile phone in the restricted Players and Match Officials Area during his team’s match.

Players are prohibited from using any communication devices and have to deposit their gadgets with the team manager before entering the PMOAs.

Only the team manager is permitted to carry a mobile in the PMOA, and should use it only for cricket operations.

The incident occurred at the NPR College ground in Natham, Dindigul, earlier this week, where the TNPL has been happening since August 4.

The Anti-Corruption Unit has made a formal communication to the TNCA regarding the incident.

“Yes, we have received a letter about this incident. We have instructed the concerned team owners not to consider him for selection until the enquiry is over. We are investigating the matter and will take appropriate action,” said TNCA secretary U. Bhagawandas Rao in a statement.

Earlier this year in the IPL, Rajasthan Royals manager Romi Bhinder was fined ₹1 lakh and given a warning for using a phone in the dugout during the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Managers are allowed to use mobiles only in the dressing room and not in the dugouts.

D. Deepesh, just 18, has created a buzz with pace for Madurai Panthers in the TNPL this season.

The 2026 u-19 World Cup winner has repeatedly crossed 140 kph, even touching 146 kph. But he’s also been varying his speed, having worked on that with mentor Sandeep Warrier during the two-week gap after the TNCA First Division League.

“I got a good idea. That’s been helpful. We didn’t just work on speed alone. We worked on slower ones and yorkers, and bowling according to the situation. Speed is my natural ability,” Deepesh said after his team’s third successive win, against SKM Salem Spartans, at the NPR College Ground here on Monday.

“Ever since I started playing in the u-19 circuit, we have spoken a lot and have been working closely. He has been very helpful to me.

“In fact, I would say he’s the only person I’ve always spoken to about my bowling. Even this morning, I spoke with him. We discuss my bowling plan before almost every match,” Deepesh, who finished with three for 38 after conceding 45 in three overs against Vida Kovai Kings, said.

The spell followed a tidy one for 25 in the opening match against Trichy Grand Cholas. The youngster acknowledged the support he received after the initial setback.

“Even after I got hit, the team didn’t let me down. They were very encouraging. The bowling coach (assistant coach A.C. Prathiban) backed me a lot. We spoke about it. Pressure got to me in that situation. So today [Monday], I focused on bowling without letting the pressure get to me,” he said.

And he delivered on the promise, taking three for 18 in his last two overs after going for 20 runs in his first two.

When Dindigul Dragons strolled out for the Tamil Nadu Premier League season-opener here on Tuesday, there was uncertainty over how the 2024 title-winner would cope with the absence of two masters of the spin-bowling craft.

R. Ashwin is in the dugout as a mentor and not on the field while Varun Chakaravarthy is yet to recover from a hamstring injury. But in an encouraging sign for its adaptive strategy, the Dindigul side watched debutant leggie Nirankar Sharma dish out a Player-of-the-Match performance of three for 21 against iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans.

Nirankar, who moved from Madhya Pradesh to Tamil Nadu to fuel his cricket dream, tightened the screws in the middle overs with his miserly spell.

“I was just so excited. It was an emotional moment for me because I had waited for it (making his maiden appearance at such a level) for years. I could not have asked for a better debut. The Dragons management, Ashwin bhaiya and Inder (B. Indrajith) anna have been supporting me a lot,” said Nirankar, the lone DD spinner in action on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old is enjoying the time of his professional life while learning the tricks of the trade from Ashwin. “I had dreamt of working with him. He has been superb with his mentorship. He is expecting a lot from me. Hopefully, I fulfil his expectations. I cannot ask for anything better with what is going on in my life,” he added.

After making a good first impression, Nirankar should strive for consistency.

Even as the Tamil Nadu cricketing community gathered to celebrate the start of the 10th edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League T20 competition on Tuesday, a development from a few days ago should prompt some serious introspection by the powers that be.

On Sunday, the South Zone Duleep Trophy squad was announced, with only Tamil Nadu player – wicketkeeper-batter N. Jagadeesan – finding a place in the 15-member squad. And TN had no reason to complain as it was a reflection of the side’s dismal performances in domestic cricket for a while now, especially in the Ranji Trophy.

Consistent underperformance in the country’s premier domestic tournament would eventually dry up opportunities for its players to be picked for higher levels and catch the attention of selectors.

Since the 2016-17 campaign, TN has made the knockouts only three times (2016-17 semifinals; 2023-24 semifinals; 2024-25 quarterfinals).

Last season, TN finished sixth out of eight teams in its group and was ranked 21st overall among 32 teams in the Elite division. In seven matches, the team managed just one outright win and managed to take first-innings lead in two other games.

Even on an individual level, none of the batters or bowlers stood out. While Pradosh Ranjan Paul was the top-scorer with 564 runs, Sai Kishore topped the wickets charts with 20 scalps. For context, Goa’s Abhinav Tejrana, a member of the South Zone squad, managed 788 runs and was the fifth-highest run-getter in the season.

While there have been criticisms surrounding some of the selections in the past and the constant changing of coaches every year, it is also time for the players – especially the senior pros – to take the onus and deliver for being backed for so long.

As the two-time champion prepares for the upcoming season under a new coach – V. Yo Mahesh – and a new selection committee, there is a gargantuan task ahead to take corrective measures and use this as a wake-up call.

After months of deliberation, former Tamil Nadu and India under-19 player V. Yo Mahesh has been appointed as the head coach of the TN senior men’s team for the 2026-27 season.

He is the fifth coach in four years (includes both red ball and white ball) to be given charge of the team. The former all-rounder has a tough task ahead of him after TN failed to progress to the knockouts in the three domestic tournaments last year.

He was at the helm of the TN u-19 team in the previous season, guiding the side to the Cooch Behar Trophy semifinals, where it fell just two runs short against Madhya Pradesh. At 38, Yo Mahesh is one of the youngest to be handed the top job, and he felt that the familiarity with some of the senior players will help him get the best out of them.

“We need to start building a culture within the TN senior team where players are made to feel secure. There has to be proper role definition,” said Yo Mahesh. He stressed that building a pool of fast bowlers will be a key focus area, but insisted that they need to be given good pitches to develop.

While the senior side has struggled, TN has won titles in the u-23 and u-19 levels in the last two years, and Yo Mahesh emphasised on the importance of nurturing the talent coming through.

Commenting on the changes needed, he called for a shift in attitude to keep pace with the demands of modern-day cricket. “Our attitude cannot be soft anymore, and we must be ready to turn up for a fight. It is important to make the players realise that cricket is being played in a certain way. We are highly talented and skilled, but maybe we should try this direction. It is not going to happen overnight, but getting them to buy into that is where I come in. That is my challenge,” said Yo Mahesh.

The list:

Men: Senior: Head coach: V. Yo Mahesh; assistant coach: R. Srinivasan (multi-day) and J. Hariesh (white ball).

Under-23: Head coach: V.R.S. Guru Kedarnath; assistant coach: C.S. Santhosh. U-19: Head coach: V. Maaruthi Raghav; assistant coach: R. Tarun. U-16: Head coach: S. Dinesh; assistant coach: Ashwin Venkataraman. U-14: Head coach: T.R. Madhavan; assistant coach: B. Rahul.

Women: Senior: Head coach: Aarthi Sankaran; assistant coach: N. Niranjana.

U-23: Head coach: V. Bobby Gulecha; assistant coach: M.D. Sugaragamini; U-19: Head coach: S. Ashok Anand; assistant coach: D. Kaavya; U-15: Head coach: Nilofer Firdhouse; assistant coach: S. Gayathri.

State women’s senior selection committee: Chairperson: K. Hemamalini; members: S. Lissy, E.R. Meenakshi, C.K. Jayalekshumi. Junior selection committee: Chairperson: N. Manjhulaa; members: V. Vilasini, S. Sharadha, P.N. Porchilai.