The first edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) is off to a flying start. We have seen two matches go to a super over, a cracking century and a number of memorable performances on the field. What has caught the eye, however, is the presentation of the event in general.
The organisers have gone beyond what’s expected off them to put on a spectacular show. They understood that the local flavour of the league would have to be the USP and have taken extra steps to ensure that the vibrant, local Tamil culture is very visible in everything that TNPL does.
From the mascots and team names, to the attire of the commentators and presenters, the TNPL has been an enthralling sight for the viewers. As we take a step back from the cricket action to enjoy what’s gone behind putting on this special show, one can’t help but get fascinated by the names of the teams.
Straying from the custom of generic team-names to denote power, or an area, the teams have been named to capture the imagination of the watching world.
The 8 chosen areas to have franchises were Chepauk, Coimbatore, Dindigul, Karaikudi, Kancheepuram, Madurai, Thiruvallur and Thoothukudi. It was now left to the owners to name their teams, the best they could.
Here, we rate the 8 TNPL team-names, pitting the Dindigul Dragons, Chepauk Super Gillies and others against each other:
#8 Madurai Super Giants
Local flavour: 4
Originality: 3
Creativity: 3
Recall value: 7
Catchiness: 5
Abbreviation: MSG; Total score: 22/50
The Madurai franchise did not think long and hard on what the team should be named. Given the success of the Chennai ‘Super’ Kings, retaining ‘Super’ was an obvious choice. The use of the word ‘Giants’ cannot be heralded either as it has been used in the past in connection to sport, the San Francisco Giants are a baseball team in the USA.
The Madurai side are owned by Kothari International Limited and have to be given credit for not including their brand in the title of the team. The name does have significant recall value however, and does earn points for simplicity.
#7 Lyca Kovai Kings
Local flavour: 4
Originality: 4
Creativity: 3
Recall value: 6
Catchiness: 6
Abbreviation: LKK; Total score: 23/50
The Coimbatore franchise decided to use it’s modern and much more catchy title ‘Kovai’ in the name, and it does add a nice ring to it. However, the fact that they took the easy option of naming the team ‘Kings’ brings the score down. Not only are there bigger ‘Kings’ in India, there is also an NBA team called the Sacramento Kings.
The team is owned by Lyca Productions Private Limited, and they lose points by including the brand name in the title. In the end, it felt like they could have done much better while naming the team.
#6 Chepauk Super Gillies
Local flavour: 7
Originality: 4
Creativity: 5
Recall value: 7
Catchiness: 6
Abbreviation: CSG; Total score: 29/50
Chepauk is the locality in Chennai where the iconic MA Chidambaram stadium is located, and the stadium is better known by its monicker ‘Chepauk’. The owners automatically earn brownie points for including Chepauk in the name, but lose points because they went the ‘CSK’ way too with the use of the word ‘super’.
‘Gillies’ is used to refer to the local game of ‘gilli danda’ and thus the name is quite unique. The side is owned by Metronation Chennai Television Private Limited and they decided against using their brand in the name.
#5 Ruby Kanchi Warriors
Local flavour: 6
Originality: 7
Creativity: 6
Recall value: 7
Catchiness: 7
Abbreviation: RKW; Total score: 33/50
The owners did well to shorten Kancheepuram to ‘Kanchi’, giving the name a nice ring to it. They chose to name the team Warriors, a bold decision. They share the ‘Warriors’ tag with the coolest NBA team in the world right now.
They are owned by the Ruby Builders and Promoters and the owners chose to include their brand in the title. They lose points because it is almost impossible to chant the abbreviation, RKW!
#4 VB Thiruvallur Veerans
Local flavour: 8
Originality: 8
Creativity: 9
Recall value: 7
Catchiness: 6
Abbreviation: VBTV; Total score: 38/50
The owners have done very well in naming their team the Thiruvallur Veerans. ‘Veeran’ stands for someone who embodies bravery, a hero almost, ready to fight. And thus, they have an army of heroes. The name has a nice aggressive ring to it and thus is rated highly on the list.
The team is owned by the VB Cricket Academy and they decided to have their name in the title. It has lead to confusion whether the team is indeed owned by Victoria Bitter, an Australian Beverage Company.
#3 Karaikudi Kaalai
Local flavour: 9
Originality: 10
Creativity: 8
Recall value: 7
Catchiness: 9
Abbreviation: KK; Total score: 43/50
Karaikudi Kaalai is one of the most catchy team names we have seen. People from across the country are scratching heads as to how to pronounce the name, or what it actually means. It scores brownie points for its uniqueness, and its ability to pique interest.
The team is owned by Chettinad Apparels Private Limited, and the owners decided not to include their brand it the name. ‘Kaalai’ means bull in Tamil and they have done well to use the local term for it, instead of the very popular ‘Bulls’.
#2 Albert Tuti Patriots
Local flavour: 8
Originality: 10
Creativity: 9
Recall value: 8
Catchiness: 9
Abbreviation: ATP; Total score: 44/50
The Thoothukudi franchise had the toughest job on their hands, but smashed it out of the park. The very fact that they converted Thoothukudi to a very catchy ‘Tuti’ earns them points. They have chosen to name the team Patriots, not done before in the country. One can only hope they are as successful as the NFL team New England Patriorts.
The team is owned by Thoothukudi Sports and Entertainment Private Limited. They paid the maximum during the bidding process and clearly put lots of thought into naming the team.
#1 Dindigul Dragons
Local flavour: 7
Originality: 9
Creativity: 9
Recall value: 10
Catchines: 10
Abbreviation: DD; Total score: 45/50
The Dindigul franchise hit it out of the park with the naming of their team. The Dindigul Dragons is a catchy and concise name, and have gone one step further with naming the team dragons. They have devled into fantasy to choose he most imposing of creatures, dragons. One must wonder if the owners are indeed Game of Thrones fans.
The team is owned by Take Solutions Limited, and they have chosen not to include their brand in the name. They also have a very catchy abbreviation – ‘DD’ that can be used by fans during the games.
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