The second edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League is just a few days. The immense success and popularity of the first edition means that the anticipation ahead of this tournament ahead of the opening game on July 22 is sky high. TNPL 2016 was a huge success not only because of the quality of cricket on display but also the new talents it unearthed.
Over the course of the tournament, although several established stars such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Abhinav Mukund, Dinesh Karthik and Laxmipathy Balaji performed brilliantly, it was the rise of players that few had heard of that made it all the more interesting. Some of those players, who performed brilliantly in the TNPL, went onto bigger and better things.
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Here are five players who rose to stardom after TNPL 2016.
#1
Aswin Crist
Unlike many players who took to the maiden edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League, Aswin Crist went into it, having already made his debut for Tamil Nadu across all formats. The 23-year-old was in and out of the Tamil Nadu side but it was thanks to his performance in the TNPL 2016 that he became a regular member of the TN side.
He was the leading wicket-taker for the Albert TUTI Patriots, who won the inaugural TNPL and he finished with 12 wickets in 9 matches at an economy rate of under 7. And he never looked back after that as he became the spearhead of the TN attack across all formats in the 2016/17 season.
In the Ranji Trophy, the fast bowler picked up 35 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 27 and in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he topped the wickets charts with 20 wickets at an economy of just over 5 in 9 matches. In the inter-zonal T20s, he finished with five wickets in three matches at an economy of just over 6 and then was picked to represent India under-23 team in the ACC emerging teams cup.
#2 N Jagadeesan
One of the reasons why the TNPL was seen as a great idea was the platform that it would provide for upcoming cricketers from the region who otherwise wouldn't have any other way of showcasing their talent. And one of the biggest talents to emerge from the inaugural edition of the TNPL was Narayan Jagadeesan.
In a tournament that saw established stars such as Baba Aparajith and Abhinav Mukund, the wicketkeeper batsman was the highest run scorer in the tournament. Playing for the Dindigul Dragons, Jagadeesan scored 397 runs in eight matches at an average of 56.71 with five fifties.
His performances for the Dragons was just what his career needed as he has since represented Tamil Nadu across all formats. In his Ranji Trophy debut for Tamil Nadu, the 21-year-old, who came in at No.7 scored an unbeaten 123 and got off to the perfect. After that, he played in both the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the inter-zonal T20 tournament. He was also one of the stars of the Deodhar Trophy where he scored 190 runs at an average of 63.33.
However, his biggest brush with spotlight came ahead of IPL 2017 when he had trials with Royal Challengers Bangalore and was in line to replace KL Rahul, only for the IPL side to go with the more experienced Vishnu Vinod.
#3 Washington Sundar
Tamil Nadu have always had a history of producing spinners but few have made a mark so early in their career as Washington Sundar. Although he was already playing in the U-19 World Cup for India at the age, it was his performances in the inaugural edition of the TNPL that sent his career through the roof.
Unlike most 16-year-olds, Washington spent the summer of 2016 preparing for the TNPL, where he played for the Albert TUTI Patriots. With 11 wickets at an economy rate of just 5.5 and 140 runs at an average of 20, the all-rounder was an integral part of the side that won the maiden TNPL.
Since then, he has made his first-class and List-A debut for Tamil Nadu, played an integral part in Tamil Nadu winning the Deodhar Trophy and replaced the injured Ravichandran Ashwin at Rising Pune Supergiant, for whom he made his T20 debut.
Despite not playing a T20 match before signing with the Pune side, Washington made a huge impact, helping them reach the final of IPL 2017.
#4 K Vignesh
Krishnamoorthy Vignesh might have made his List-A debut for Tamil Nadu in 2014 but that is his only appearance in the format till now. For two years after breaking through, K Vignesh didn't play either a first-class match or T20 for Tamil Nadu and that was before taking part in the inaugural edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League for Lyca Kovai Kings.
K Vignesh finished with 11 wickets in seven matches and showed that he can be effective in the shortest format as well. Soon after that, he got his maiden Ranji cap and finished his first full season as a Ranji player with 37 wickets in nine matches at an average of just 22, while also forming a potent combination with Aswin Crist.
Although he is largely regarded as a traditional fast bowler, he has shown that he can adapt to different formats as well. Although the 22-year-old's domestic performances didn't earn him an IPL contract, he was still picked for the Rest of India squad to face Gujarat in the Irani Trophy and consistent performances in the Ranji Trophy will mean that an India call-up is not too far away.
#5 T Natarajan
Arguably the biggest success story of the inaugural edition of the TNPL has to be Thangarasu Natarajan (Nattu). From playing tennis ball cricket in his hometown, Nattu's performances in the inaugural edition of the TNPL saw him being compared with Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman.
Unlike most cricketers, who start young, Nattu's story is quite different but thanks to his incredible ability to execute his yorkers that earned him 10 wickets in seven matches for Dindigul Dragons in TNPL 2016, the 26-year-old has risen rapidly through the ranks. After his impressive TNPL exploits, he made his debut for Tamil Nadu in the Ranji Trophy.
Even there, the left-arm pacer had a marvellous start as he picked up 27 wickets from 9 matches. He then played T20s for Tamil Nadu before he was picked up by Kings XI Punjab for INR 3 crore during the IPL Auction 2017 despite the fact that he had a base price of just 10 lakh. He didn't get a regular run in the side, though, as he played just six matches but picked up two wickets.
But it was thanks to the TNPL that the 26-year-old was thrust into the spotlight that earned him a massive IPL contract and put him on the radar of Indian selectors as well.
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