TNPL is one of the biggest T20 leagues in India. The Tamil Nadu Premier League started in the year 2016, and so far, many Tamil Nadu cricketers have taken advantage of this tournament to catapult their careers to the next level.
The 2024 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League ended last night, where Dindigul Dragons beat Lyca Kovai Kings to become the new champions. Star Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin was the captain of the Dragons, while for the Kings, Shahrukh Khan was the leading wicket-taker. Khan also won the Man of the Tournament for his 225 runs and 13 wickets.
While Khan is already a well-known player in IPL and has earned crores, here’s a list of three such players who became Man of the Tournament in TNPL but are yet to make it big.
1. TNPL 2021 Man of the Tournament – C Hari Nishaanth
Playing for Dindigul Dragons, C Hari Nishaanth scored 368 runs in the 2021 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League. He even won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with Tamil Nadu that season, and soon, Chenna Super Kings signed him.
Unfortunately for Hari Nishaanth, the uncapped batter did not receive any chances. Ruturaj Gaikwad cemented his place as the team’s main Indian opener, and CSK never tried him out.
2. 2022 Man of the Tournament – Sanjay Yadav
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Sanjay Yadav won the Man of the Tournament while representing the Nellai Royal Kings in the 2022 season of Tamil Nadu Premier League. He was the top-scorer with 452 runs, and Mumbai Indians signed him. However, the Gorakhpur native got just one match, where he got out for a duck and returned with figures of 0/23 in two overs.
3. 2023 Man of the Tournament – Guruswamy Ajitesh
Guruswamy Ajitesh is a 21-year-old batter, who surprised everyone by scoring 385 runs for runners-up Nellai Royal Kings in the 2023 season. Ajitesh is yet to earn an IPL deal though. In the recently concluded TNPL season, Ajitesh was inconsistent in terms of scoring runs.
