The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) is in the middle of the action. To add to the excitement, Parimatch, the #1 global platform, has launched the TNPL & VSL Tournament. Running from July 22 until August 4, the Tournament offers a guaranteed prize fund of ₹12,00,000, with fabulous prizes including Sony PS5 Consoles and more cash rewards. To participate, simply join the Tournament and make at least one winning prediction on the Tamil Nadu Premier League or Virtual Cricket on Parimatch.
For new users, Parimatch also presents the warmest welcome: with just ₹200, newcomers can support their favorites during the TNPL matches and stand a chance to claim up to ₹50,000 in real money! Other promos during the Tamil Nadu Premier League provide users with a chance to get up to ₹200,000!
So, while you are deciding who to predict on this Tamil Nadu season, let’s take a look at the top six Tamil Nadu-born players who have graced the league in the past few years and contributed to its success:
#6 Dinesh Karthik
Having established international players like Dinesh Karthik in the mix from the first season onwards helped TNPL gain a reputation for a league which sees the best players participating in the crucial stages of the season.
The Chennai-born player played only three matches for Tuti Patriots but scored 170 runs at an impressive average of 85 including a half-century in the final at a strike rate of more than 210 as the Patriots lifted the trophy in the inaugural TNPL season, winning the final against Chepauk Super Gillies by 122 runs.
After the end of the 2017 season of TNPL, Karthik’s focus was shifted towards playing for India as the wicket-keeper batter almost became an all-format player with MS Dhoni taking frequent rests towards the end of his India career while Wriddhiman Saha was battling injury issues. Since then, the now-retired player made only two appearances in the TNPL failing to score big in both matches.
#5 Narayan Jagadeesan
Narayan Jagadeesan has been an explosive batter from his early days and finished as the highest run-scorer in the inaugural edition of the TNPL. In fact, the wicket-keeper batter finished in the top three of the highest run-scorers in four of the first five seasons of the T20 league.
Jagadeesan enjoyed his best season in TNPL in 2019 when he scored 448 runs in 10 matches at an average of 64 and a strike rate of 137.42. As the captain of Dindigul Dragons, the Coimbatore-born opening batter led his side to the final but fell at the last hurdle as none of his teammates could help chase the target of 127 runs after a rare top-order failure.
#4 Washington Sundar
After the retirement of Ravindra Jadeja from the T20I format, Washington Sundar is being hailed as the most natural replacement available for the star all-rounder for the Indian cricket team. Sundar recently won the Player of the Series award in the 5-match T20I series against Zimbabwe and will be involved against Sri Lanka later this month as well.
Sundar became a star in his own right through the Tamil Nadu Premier League where he finished as the highest run-scorer by a huge margin and the second-highest wicket-taker during the 2017 TNPL season. The all-rounder scored 459 runs at an average of 76.5 which included a century and took 15 wickets as Tuti Patriots lost in the final to Chepauk Super Gillies.
In recent years, Sundar’s injury troubles haven’t allowed him to be at his best with both bat and ball in hand as the off-spinner once conceded 26 runs in a single over to Baba Indrajith after returning from a hamstring injury.
#3 Sai Sudharsan
In TNPL 2021 and TNPL 2022, Sai Sudharsan impressed everybody in the cricket fraternity by ending the 2021 season as the second-highest run-scorer with 358 runs in 8 innings at an average of 71.6 and a strike rate of 143.77 while in the 2022 season, he finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer with 336 runs in 9 innings at an average of 48 and a strike rate of more than 140.
After his impressive performances, Kovai Kings went all out for the Chennai-born batter, retaining the southpaw for a record sum of INR 21.6 Lakhs and it proved to be a masterstroke as the franchise lifted the trophy in the 2023 edition of the TNPL.
In TNPL 2023, Sudharsan was once again amongst the runs as he scored 371 runs in 6 innings at an average of 74.2 and a strike rate of 172.55 helping his side lift the coveted trophy and the Kings look favorites to defend their title with four wins in their first four matches of TNPL 2024.
#2 Shahrukh Khan
Shahrukh Khan has established himself as one of the household names of T20 cricket often bagging huge sums at IPL auctions courtesy of his power-hitting abilities and useful bowling skills which are often on display in the TNPL.
In 56 matches, Shahrukh has scored 1215 runs at an average of almost 30 and a strike rate of more than 150. In TNPL 2022, Shahrukh took 11 wickets in 10 matches and often stayed till the end to complete run-chases helping the Kovai Kings lift the TNPL trophy for the first time, albeit a shared one as a rain-marred final prevented the Kings from outrightly lifting the trophy.
In the 2023 season of the state T20 league, the Chennai-born all-rounder emerged as the highest wicket-taker striking 17 times throughout the course of the tournament apart from having the best strike rate of 190 in the league while leading his side as the Kings successfully defended the title.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
In the inaugural TNPL season, Ravichandran Ashwin captained the Dindigul Dragons but played only two matches due to national commitments. In TNPL 2018, he picked 6 wickets in three matches with an economy rate of less than 7.5, helping the Dragons reach the finals. The next season, he took 8 wickets in 7 matches but missed the final, leading to another runner-up finish for the Dragons.
In TNPL 2023, Ashwin’s infamous review brought significant attention to the league. He started the 2024 season strong, recording figures of 3/18 and impressing as an opening batter with a 45-run knock off 20 balls.
Wrapping Up
The Tamil Nadu Premier League season is the perfect time to make predictions on your local favorites and win big with Parimatch! With action-packed tournaments and exclusive offers, there’s something exciting for everyone. Join the fun before it’s too late and make the most out of this year’s TNPL season.