CHENNAI:Amidst uncertainty over the participation of outstation players, the third edition of Tamil Nadu Premier League will begin in Tirunelveli, with Dindigul Dragons taking on Ruby Trichy Warriors in the opener on Wednesday evening.All teams now sport a new look and are evenly matches after the recent player draft.
When Express spoke to many of the support staff of various teams, they were of the opinion that they had prepared for the tournament with local players on mind. They believed that outstation players would certainly add more value, but their availability was still a cause for concern.Dindigul Dragons coach M Venkataramana is confident of a good show from his team this season. They have retained R Ashwin, N Jagadeesan and R Vivek; key players around whom the team strategies will revolve.
“It is important to have a good captain in this format. A solid wicketkeeper is vital, not to mention a hard-hitting batsman,” Venkataramana told Express.“Ashwin is fresh from his IPL stint. He led Punjab well, and wants to do the same in this tournament. He enjoys spending time with the players, and wants each and everyone to contribute. When a captain shows such kind of involvement in team-building, it does half the job for he coach.”
“We are keen to get our combination right. The wicket is pretty flat. NS Chaturved, Jagadeesan and Hari Nishanth can open. Jagannathan Kaushik, Adithya Arun and M Mohammed can bowl well in the final overs. Plus we have Ashwin, who will be a floater as per the demands of the situation.”
Dindigul skipper Ashwin believes that his team is well-prepared for the grind. “It is the start of the tournament. Everything will be fresh, and I hope the wicket will be good to bat on. Our team’s morale is upbeat. We have had some good fielding sessions and practice too has been spot on. Since the team is new, we are focussing on bonding. Everything looks good, and hopefully we will have a good game.”
On the other hand, Trichy will in all probability be without star batsman Murali Vijay during the tournament, courtesy his India commitments.But Trichy captain Baba Indrajith was optimistic regarding his team’s future. “I think we have a balanced team. The preparation has been really good.”
SC verdict on outstation players to come out today
TNCA had moved Supreme Court for clarifications on participation of outstation players. BCCI at its SGM last month cleared the way for outstation players in domestic leagues, but CoA rendered it “null and void”. SC will give its verdict on the matter on Wednesday. “We are waiting for the directions from the Supreme Court. We will take a decision on the matter after the apex court’s verdict. As of now, no outstation player will take part in the inaugural match in Tirunelveli,’’ explained a senior TNCA official.
ashok.v@newindianexpress.com