Get ready for another exhilarating season of cricket as the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) returns for its 2024 edition, kicking off on Friday, July 5. Just like last year, eight dynamic teams will battle it out for the coveted TNPL trophy, promising fans a summer filled with high-octane action, nail-biting finishes, and exceptional cricketing talent.

History of TNPL

The TNPL, established in 2016, has rapidly grown into one of India’s premier T20 leagues. It has provided a platform for local talent to shine and has been instrumental in discovering future stars for Indian cricket. Over the years, the league has seen fierce competition, with teams like Chepauk Super Gillies and Lyca Kovai Kings emerging as dominant forces.

See Also: T20 World Cup winning team members to be honored in Maharashtra State Assembly

Teams and Players to watch

The 2024 edition features eight teams, each packed with talent and ready to make their mark. Key players to watch include Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, Baba Aparajith, N Jagadeesan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Varun Chakravarthy, Sandeep Warrier, Vijay Shankar, T Natarajan, Sai Kishore, and Baba Indrajith. These stars are expected to light up the tournament with their skills and performances.

Kickoff Match: Lyca Kovai Kings vs. Chepauk Super Gillies

The tournament will kick off with a thrilling match between the defending champions Lyca Kovai Kings and the formidable Chepauk Super Gillies at the SCF Cricket Ground in Salem. This opening clash promises to set the tone for the rest of the tournament, with key players from both sides looking to make a strong start.

Venue Details

SCF Cricket Ground, Salem

A picturesque venue known for its lively atmosphere and excellent pitch conditions, making it a favorite among players and fans alike.

SBR College Cricket Ground, Coimbatore

A relatively new venue but quickly gaining a reputation for high-scoring games and passionate local support.

Indian Cement Company Ground, Tirunelveli

A historic ground that has hosted numerous memorable matches, known for its challenging pitch and vibrant crowd.

NPR College Ground, Dindigul

Renowned for its excellent facilities and a track that offers something for both batsmen and bowlers.

MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

One of India’s iconic cricket stadiums, famous for its electric atmosphere and being a fortress for the home teams.

Tournament format

The TNPL 2024 will follow a single round-robin format, with each team facing every other team once. This ensures a total of 28 league stage matches, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. The top four teams will then progress to the playoffs, adopting a format similar to the IPL:

Qualifier 1

The top two teams face off, with the winner earning a direct ticket to the Final.

Eliminator

The third and fourth-placed teams battle it out, with the winner moving on to play the loser of Qualifier 1 in Qualifier 2.

Qualifier 2

The winner of the Eliminator takes on the loser of Qualifier 1, with the victor advancing to the Final.

Final

The ultimate showdown where the winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 compete for the TNPL 2024 title.

Schedule and Key dates

The league stage runs from July 5 to July 16, across five venues. The Quarter Finals and Eliminator will be played on July 30 and 31 in Dindigul, while the final stages, including Quarter Final 2 and the grand finale, will be hosted at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on August 2 and 4.

Double headers

Seven double-headers are scheduled throughout the league stage, with afternoon matches starting at 3:15 pm IST and evening encounters commencing at 7:15 pm IST. This format not only maximizes viewership but also adds to the excitement and intensity of the competition.

Introduction of DRS

For the first time in TNPL history, umpires will have access to the Decision Review System (DRS) for all matches. However, the DRS cannot be used to overturn no-ball or wide calls, ensuring that the system complements the on-field umpires without undermining their authority.

Broadcast and Live Streaming details

All matches will be streamed live on the FanCode app and website. However, none of the games will be broadcast on TV.

Tamil Nadu Premier League 2024: Full schedule

• Match 1: July 5, Lyca Kovai Kings vs Chepauk Super Gillies, 7:15 pm, Salem
• Match 2: July 6, Dindigul Dragons vs Trichy Grand Cholas, 3:15 pm, Salem
• Match 3: July 6, Salem Spartans vs Siechem Madurai Panthers, 7:15 pm, Salem
• Match 4: July 7, Nellai Royal Kings vs Chepauk Super Gillies, 3:15 pm, Salem
• Match 5: July 7, Lyca Kovai Kings vs IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, 7:15 pm, Salem
• Match 6: July 8, Dindigul Dragons vs Salem Spartans, 7:15 pm, Salem
• Match 7: July 9, Siechem Madurai Panthers vs Trichy Grand Cholas, 7:15 pm, Salem
• Match 8: July 10, Chepauk Super Gillies vs IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, 7:15 pm, Salem
• Match 9: July 11, Nellai Royal Kings vs Salem Spartans, 7:15 pm, Salem
• Match 10: July 13, Siechem Madurai Panthers vs IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, 3:15 pm, Coimbatore
• Match 11: July 13, Lyca Kovai Kings vs Nellai Royal Kings, 7:15 pm, Coimbatore
• Match 12: July 14, Salem Spartans vs Trichy Grand Cholas, 3:15 pm, Coimbatore
• Match 13: July 14, Chepauk Super Gillies vs Dindigul Dragons, 7:15 pm, Coimbatore
• Match 14: July 15, Siechem Madurai Panthers vs Nellai Royal Kings, 7:15 pm, Coimbatore
• Match 15: July 16, Trichy Grand Cholas vs Lyca Kovai Kings, 7:15 pm, Coimbatore
• Match 16: July 17, IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans vs Dindigul Dragons, 7:15 pm, Coimbatore
• Match 17: July 18, Salem Spartans vs Chepauk Super Gillies, 7:15 pm, Coimbatore
• Match 18: July 20, Trichy Grand Cholas vs Nellai Royal Kings, 7:15 pm, Tirunelveli
• Match 19: July 21, Dindigul Dragons vs Lyca Kovai Kings, 3:15 pm, Tirunelveli
• Match 20: July 21, IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans vs Salem Spartans, 7:15 pm, Tirunelveli
• Match 21: July 22, Trichy Grand Cholas vs Chepauk Super Gillies, 7:15 pm, Tirunelveli
• Match 22: July 23, Siechem Madurai Panthers vs Lyca Kovai Kings, 7:15 pm, Tirunelveli
• Match 23: July 24, Nellai Royal Kings vs IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, 7:15 pm, Tirunelveli
• Match 24: July 26, Dindigul Dragons vs Siechem Madurai Panthers, 7:15 pm, Dindigul
• Match 25: July 27, Salem Spartans vs Lyca Kovai Kings, 3:15 pm, Dindigul
• Match 26: July 27, IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans vs Trichy Grand Cholas, 7:15 pm, Dindigul
• Match 27: July 28, Chepauk Super Gillies vs Siechem Madurai Panthers, 3:15 pm, Dindigul
• Match 28: July 28, Nellai Royal Kings vs Dindigul Dragons, 7:15 pm, Dindigul
• Match 29: July 30, Qualifier 1, 7:15 pm, Dindigul
• Match 30: July 31, Eliminator, 7:15 pm, Dindigul
• Match 31: August 2, Qualifier 2, 7:15 pm, Chennai
• Match 32: August 4, Final, 7:15 pm, Chennai

TNPL 2024: Squads of all 8 teams

Chepauk Super Gillies: Aparajith B, Arunachalam V, Ayyappan B, Narayan Jagadeesan, Jitendra Kumar CH, Lokesh Raj TD, Madankumar S, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Rahil S Shah, Sibi R, Silambarasan M, Daryl S Ferrario, Periyasamy G, Aswin Christ A, Abhishek Tanwar, Satish R, Shajahan M , Surya B, Santhosh Kumar D, Andre Siddharth C.

Dindigul Dragons: Affan Khader M, Ravichandran Ashwin, Boopathi, Vaishnav Kumar, Diran VP, Indrajith B, Kishore G, Sarath Kumar C, Shivam Singh, Subodh Kumar Bhati, Varun CV, Vignesh P, Vimal Khumar R, Sandeep Warrier, Rocky B, Rohan Raju, Om Nithin K, Ilaiyaraja P, Ashik K.

IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans: Ajith Ram S, Anirudh Sita Ram, Buvaneshwaran P, Ganesh S, Karuppusamy A, Manikandan S, Mohammed Ali S, Radhakrishnan S, Tushar Raheja, Vijay Shankar, Sai Kishore R, Thangarasu Natarajan, Maan K Bafna, Anovankar, Ram Kumar, Jeevanantham, Amit Sathvik, Karthik Saran, Rohit R, Madhivanan M

Lyca Kovai Kings: Atheeq ur Rahman MA, Divakar R, Gowtham Thamarai Kannan K, Hemcharan P, Jhathavedh Subramanyan, Mohammed M, Mugilesh U, Om Prakash KM, Ram Arvindh R, Sachin B, Sai Sudharsan B, Shahrukh Khan M, Siddharth M, Sujay S, Suresh Kumar J, Vidyuth P, Yudheeswaran V, Manish GR, Vignesh GV, Meeran Rahil Rahman.

Nellai Royal Kings: Ajithesh G, Arun Karthik KB, Arun Kumar SJ, Emmanuel Cheriyan B, Harish NS, Kabilan N, Lakshay Jain S, Mohan Prasath S, Nidhish S Rajagopal, Rithik Eswaran S, Rohan J, Sonu Yadav R, Sugendhiran P, Suryaprakash L, Mokit Hariharan .S, Gohulmoorthi S, Gowtham V, Abhilash AV, Kirubakaran R, Silambarasan R.

Salem Spartans: Abhishiek S, Ganesh Moorthi M, Guru Sayee S, Jaganath Sinivas RS, Kavin R, Mohammed Adnan Khan, Sachin Rathi, Selvakumaran N, Sunny Sandhu, Vivek R, Harish Kumar S, Aushiq Srinivas R, Robin Singh Bist, Shijit Chandran P, Vishal Vaidhya K, Poiyamozhi M, Rajan R, Yazh Arun Mozhi, Tarun Kumar V, Sudhan Sanjeevi Kandepan.

Siechem Madurai Panthers: Aditya V, Ajay K Krishnan, Ashwin M, Ayush M, Gurjapneet Singh, Hari Nishaanth C, Kousik J, Lokeshwar S, Rahul D, Saravanan P, Sri Abisek AS, Swapnil K Singh, Washington Sundar MS, Chatruvedh NS, Sasidev. U, Alexander R, Kiran Akash, Ajay Chetan J, Karthik Manikandan VS, Akram Khan M.

Trichy Grand Cholas (Ba11sy Trichy): Anthony Das, Adithyaraj Davidson, Eswaran K, Francis Rokins, Ganga Sridhar Raju V, Godson G, Jafar Jamal, Mani Bharathi K, Raj Kumar K, Raj Kumar R, Vinod SP, Saravanakumar P, Vignesh K, Sanjay Yadav R, Nirmal Kumar P, Shyam Sundar, Mohammed Ashik, Arjun P Murthy, Arya Yohan Menon, Rajin J.

In an exhilarating IPL clash at Mullanpur, the Gujarat Titans emerged victorious by three wickets against the Punjab Kings. Despite some tense moments during their chase, Gujarat’s triumph was sealed by a remarkable partnership between Shahrukh Khan and Rahul Tewatia, signaling their return to winning form.

The Punjab Kings, facing a string of defeats, struggled to find their rhythm, especially in the middle overs, which ultimately cost them dearly. With their batting woes persisting, Punjab endured their fourth consecutive home defeat, relegating them to the bottom of the league table.

Gill shines with his captaincy

Spinners played a pivotal role in the match, wreaking havoc on Punjab’s batting lineup and restricting them to a modest total of 142 all out in 20 overs. This set a relatively achievable target of 143 runs for Gujarat, who capitalized on the spin-friendly conditions.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Punjab Kings were without their captain Shikhar Dhawan due to injury. Despite some early boundaries from Gill and Saha, Punjab lost crucial wickets at regular intervals, with Livingstone accounting for key dismissals.

Sai Kishore makes the magic

Sai Kishore showcased his bowling prowess as he dismantled the Punjab Kings’ batting lineup with a flurry of wickets. His relentless accuracy and spin variations saw him send Jitesh Sharma and Ashutosh Sharma back to the pavilion, leaving Punjab struggling at 86/5 after 11.4 overs and 92/6 after 13.5 overs respectively. Despite Shahrukh Khan initially seeming to have trapped Harpreet Singh LBW, a successful DRS review overturned the decision, offering Punjab a lifeline. However, Sai Kishore continued his dominance, dismissing Shashank Singh at 99/7 after 15.2 overs and later claiming the wicket of Harpreet Brar at 139/8 after 18.6 overs. Sai Kishore’s stellar performance played a crucial role in restricting Punjab Kings to a modest total.

Rahul Tewatia gives match winning performance

In the second innings, Gujarat Titans encountered some early setbacks but managed to steady their innings with contributions from various batsmen. However, it was Shahrukh Khan’s departure that added some tension to the chase. Yet, with determined efforts from their lower order, Gujarat Titans chased down the target with just five balls to spare, securing a much-needed victory.

Rahul Tewatia’s match-winning performance in the final stages ensures Gujarat Titans clinch a dramatic victory over Punjab Kings, marking a memorable comeback for the team.

See Also: IPL 2024: Fans appreciate Gill’s captaincy against PBKS

This thrilling encounter showcased the resilience and determination of both teams, but it was Gujarat Titans who emerged triumphant, marking a significant turnaround in their IPL campaign.

As the current season of first-class cricket nears its conclusion, some players are expressing concerns over what they perceive as rushed scheduling by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), asserting that it doesn’t align with the best interests of player well-being and injury prevention.

With only three games remaining in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season – two underway and one yet to be played – players are voicing their belief that a mere three-day gap between matches is insufficient. This season, the BCCI packed 137 first-class matches into a tight 70-day window, running from January 5 to March

Players’ Concerns Over Compact Scheduling

R Sai Kishore, the captain of Tamil Nadu, disclosed that several players share this sentiment, particularly noting the disproportionate strain placed on fast bowlers due to the compact scheduling. Kishore himself, being a spinner, adapts his training regimen accordingly but acknowledges the challenges faced by fast bowlers.

Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai and India all-rounder, expressed more explicit concerns, urging the BCCI to reconsider the scheduling of Ranji matches. Reflecting on his experience of past seasons, Thakur highlighted the historically longer breaks between matches and emphasized the potential for increased player injuries if the current trend persists.

Thakur cautioned against the physical toll of playing ten consecutive matches with minimal rest, especially considering the elimination of breaks that previously existed in the tournament’s format. With the schedule becoming increasingly demanding, Thakur predicts a surge in injuries across the country if the situation remains unchanged.

SEE ALSO: Watch: Sanju Samson fulfills promise, engages in cricket with specially abled child Upon return to Kerala

Balancing Cricketing Calendar with Player Welfare

Behind the scenes, the BCCI faces its own set of challenges in crafting the cricket calendar. With a staggering 1846 matches scheduled for the season, including women’s and age-group games, the BCCI was compelled to commence the season earlier than usual, starting in June rather than the typical September-October timeframe.

For senior players, the season encompasses seven tournaments, each with its own duration, ranging from the Duleep Trophy to the Ranji Trophy Elite and Plate divisions. The logistics of accommodating all these fixtures while also considering player welfare pose a significant challenge for the BCCI.

In light of players’ concerns and the logistical complexities faced by the BCCI, finding a balance between the demands of the cricketing calendar and player well-being emerges as a pressing issue.

As the season draws to a close, the debate surrounding scheduling adjustments to accommodate player needs is likely to intensify, prompting stakeholders to explore potential solutions that prioritize both the integrity of the game and the health of its participants.