Wikipedia - Tamil Nadu Premier League
The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) is a men's Twenty20 (T20) cricket league that is annually held in the state of Tamil Nadu in India and contested by eight city-based franchise teams. The league was formed in 2016 by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). It is usually played during post summer season from June to August of every year. Shriram Group is the current title sponsor of the tournament.
As of 2023, there have been seven seasons of the tournament. The present title holder is Lyca Kovai Kings.Chepauk Super Gillies are the most successful team after winning the title four times.
History
Background
In 2016, the TNPL was launched at the time when Chennai Super Kings, the Tamil Nadu franchise playing Indian Premier League (IPL), was facing a two-year suspension from the league. The league was aimed to make up for the absence of high-profile matches in Chennai in the year and to expose talented players from districts. It was conceived by former BCCI president and then TNCA president N. Srinivasan.
Franchise rights
On 1 May 2016, TNCA invited bidders for the eight franchise rights. A total of 17 bidders participated in the bidding process and current members of TNCA were not allowed to participate. The base price set for each franchise was ₹1.25 crore (US$160,000) for a period of 10 years. The franchise rights was sold for ₹33.51 crore (US$4.2 million) and the highest bidder chose Salem for ₹5.21 crore (US$650,000).
| Owner | Franchise | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Vivo South Chennai distributor Selvakumar | Salem Spartans | ₹5.21 crore (US$650,000) |
| Metronation Chennai | Chepauk Super Gillies | ₹5.13 crore (US$640,000) |
| Lyca Productions | Lyca Kovai Kings | ₹5.01 crore (US$630,000) |
| Kothari (Madras) Ltd. | Madurai Panthers | ₹4.001 crore (US$500,000) |
| (Need to be Updated) | Trichy Grand Cholas | ₹3.69 crore (US$460,000) |
| Crown Forts Ltd. | Nellai Royal Kings | ₹3.48 crore (US$440,000) |
| Take Solutions Ltd | Dindigul Dragons | ₹3.42 crore (US$430,000) |
| I Dream cinemas | iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans | ₹3.3 crore (US$410,000) |
Foundation
On 16 August 2016, the first edition was inaugurated by MS Dhoni in Chennai. The first edition featured international cricketers including Ravichandran Ashwin, Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik and Lakshmipathy Balaji. Former cricketers Robin Singh and Michael Bevan were among the coaches. Matthew Hayden was the brand ambassador of the league. No players representing other state associations participated in the inaugural season as they were not given permission at the time by the BCCI. Star Sports were the TV broadcasters. The first season was played from 24 August to 18 September.
The team's home ground is the Indian Cement Company Ground in Tirunelveli. The team's logo features a lion, which represents strength and courage. The team's colors are blue and yellow.
The Nellai Royal Kings have a strong squad of talented players, including experienced players like Baba Aparajith, Sanjay Yadav, and Laxmesha Suryaprakash. The team also has some promising young players like Rohit Ram, Ashwath Mukunthan, and T Ajith Kumar.
The team has a good track record in the TNPL, having reached the semi-finals in their debut season in 2019. The team has a strong batting line-up and a good mix of spin and pace bowlers. The team's captain is Baba Aparajith, who is a talented all-rounder and a former India U-19 captain.
Overall, the Nellai Royal Kings are a competitive and exciting team to watch in the TNPL, and they have the potential to win the tournament in the future.