We are sure that since the IPL started, the air around cricket has changed. There is more glamour, more energy, and celebration than it ever was. Following the tradition is the Tamil Nadu Premier League that in itself is a mini IPL. The league is starting on 23 June 2022 and this is the best time to learn about it.
What is Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL)?
The Tamil Nadu Premier Competition (TNPL) is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in India that was founded in 2016 by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). Every year in July and August, eight teams representing Tamil Nadu’s eight districts compete. It is one of India’s regional premier cricket competitions which is the highest-grossing among all states.
TNPL has aired for five seasons. Chepauk Super Gillies, the current winners, are also the most successful team, having won the title in 2017, 2019, and 2021. Salem Spartans (Tuti Patriots) in 2016 and Siechem Madurai Panthers in 2018 are the other teams that have won the title.
How is The Tournament Played?
Much like in IPL, in the league phase, the eight teams compete against each other in a round-robin style. Each win will earn the team two points. The top four clubs in the points table at the completion of the league stage will advance to the playoffs. The playoffs, like the IPL, have three matches before the final: one eliminator and two qualifiers. In Qualifier 1, the top two teams from the league phase will face off, with the victor going straight to the final and the loser having a second chance to qualify for the final by playing Qualifier 2.
Meanwhile, the third and fourth place teams from the league phase compete in an eliminator match, with the winner advancing to the Qualifier 2. The winner of this match advances to the final, where they will face the winner of Qualifier 1. The winner of the finals is obviously declared the champion.
How Are Players Acquired In The League That Is Only For Tamil Nadu Players?
The players are chosen months before the competition. Teams can recruit a maximum of 22 players and a minimum of 16 players. They are each permitted to keep three players from the previous season. On the basis of their experience, players are divided into four groups during the drafting.
- A Players with international cricket experience-₹6 lakh
- B1-B2 First-class cricketers who have played at least 20 TNPL matches ₹2−3 lakh
- C Others ₹50,000−1 lakh
BCCI prohibited TNCA from letting outstation players compete in the competition till 2020. A squad can have a maximum of two outstation players if they are not already playing in an IPL team. After the 2020 IPL season, a separate draft for outstation players was held for the TNPL season 5.
Following are the teams that participate in the TNPL
| Teams | Region |
| Salem Spartans | Salem |
| Chepauk Super Gillies | Chennai |
| Lyca Kovai Kings | Coimbatore |
| Dindigul Dragons | Dindigul |
| Trichy Warriors | Tiruchirapalli |
| iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans | Tiruppur |
| Siechem Madurai Panthers | Madurai |
| Nellai Royal Kings | Tirunelveli |
Why is Tamil Nadu Premier League So Special?
Tamil Nadu is one of the few states in the country, along with Mumbai, to have a cricketing system that can be divided into many tiers, ranging from schools to clubs to division cricket to state cricket. The TNPL played just a little role in the development of cricketers from other districts than Chennai.
While the IPL breathed fresh life into the state, Tamil Nadu chose to separate itself from the larger branch in order to create a unique one of its own. The tournament’s core cause can be summed up in three words: talent development, infrastructure, and a new crowd.
T Natarajan, Varun Chakravarthy, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, and Murugan Ashwin have all turned the audience’s attention to their cricketing talents in the IPL during the last three years, with some of them even gaining international popularity. All of them have their roots in TNPL.
The TNPL has all of the necessary ingredients for a successful tournament: huge stars, colorful apparel, and T20 matches played under the lights. The competition, on the other hand, had a notable advantage over the others in terms of scheduling. With frequent rains across the country, the cricketing calendar in India makes it impossible to host games from June to September which opens a window for the league to take place.
Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) stood out as a T20 league over the course of four seasons, 128 matches, and several nail-biters. The state’s TV ratings increased by 23%, the country’s reach increased by 27%, and the total number of viewers increased by 48 million globally.
There is no regional league in the country that has established itself the way TNPL has. Be it commercial or popularity achievements, the tournament has given light to the viewers who follow it ardently giving a much-needed spotlight to the local talent. On 23 June, the league will start its 6th season and we are all excited to see young guns blazing in it.
