Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2021: Tamil Nadu coach believes his team in good stead to defend title

Tamil Nadu, led by the experienced Vijay Shankar, will commence their Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy title defense on November 4. Tamil Nadu are grouped in Elite Group A, alongside Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Punjab and Goa. The team will play their matches at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

Tamil Nadu did suffer a jolt in the run-up to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Dinesh Karthik, the side's regular skipper, was ruled out due to a knee injury. However, with Tamil Nadu boasting several stars in their ranks, it was all-rounder Vijay Shankar who was appointed captain.

Tamil Nadu's newly recruited head coach M Venkataramana believes his team is up for the challenge of defending the title. Venkataramana spoke to Sportskeeda on the eve of Tamil Nadu's opening match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Lucknow. He said a preparation camp in Chennai has put the team in good stead. He said:

"We are in great spirits. We have prepared well to defend our title. Everyone in the team knows their roles and we are prepared for the challenge. We had a training camp in Chennai before coming to Lucknow and the focus of the camp was adaptability. It was about knowing the situation of the game and playing accordingly."

Tamil Nadu in good stead under Vijay Shankar

Tamil Nadu are among the strongest sides in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. They have the likes of Narayan Jagadeesan, Baba Aparajith, Vijay Shankar, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Sandeep Warrier and Murugan Ashwin in their ranks.

Read: Mayank Agarwal aims to have a solid campaign with Karnataka

Vijay Shankar is no stranger to captaincy as the all-rounder has helmed the team in the absence of Dinesh Karthik in the past. Venkataramana believes Vijay Shankar is the best man for the job, though Dinesh Karthik's shoes are big to fill. The coach said:

"The presence of Dinesh Karthik would have definitely benefitted the team. I see it as an opportunity for the boys to step up and own the situation. Although his shoes are too big to be filled, I am sure Vijay's captaincy is holding the team in good stead."

With a player like Vijay Shankar leading the side, the core group or the leadership group of the team is not short of inspiration or experience. Venkataramana lauded Vijay Shakar for easing into the role and putting his teammates too at ease.

"Having an experienced player like Vijay Shankar has made my job easier. Neither he is new to the job nor he is a newbie. He has played with most of them in his career and the players are also comfortable having him as their captain. He knows what needs to be done, where, and that is beneficial for the team."

His team are entering the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as defending champions. But the Tamil Nadu coach said retaining the title would be a tougher task than winning one.

"There is a pressure of being defending champions. We cannot deny that. Having said that, we are all professionals and everyone in the team is experienced enough to handle these situations and pressure. We hope to deliver our best and retain the title."