Tuti Patriots to play New Zealand club 'Hutt Hawks' ahead of TNPL 2018 

With the 2018 Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) just days away from getting underway, it looks like their most successful side, Tuti Patriots have already set their sights on winning the coveted trophy as they are set to play Hutt Hawks, a club from New Zealand, in their training camp in Anantapur.

The side from New Zealand will feature Kiwi all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, members from the New Zealand under-19 side at the 2018 World Cup, Rachin Ravindra, Luke Georgeson and Felix Murray in their ranks and this will be a perfect opportunity for the Patriots to gain some valuable match practice ahead of the tournament.

Tuti Patriots, who finished as winners and the runners-up in the first two seasons, will begin their camp in Anantapur on July 7 due to the ongoing VA Parthasarathy Memorial Trophy. They will get their 2018 TNPL campaign underway against VB Kanchi Veerans on July 15.

Talking about the practice game, Tuti Patriots coach R Prasanna, in a chat with Sportskeeda, said that the match will be useful for his team as it will help the players get some exposure going into the tournament that gets underway on July 11.

"This is a proper co-incidence. The Hutt Hawks are in Anantapur for preparation and Mr. Sahabuddin, who is the in-charge of the facility in Anantapur, played a key role in the match taking place. We were asked for a practice match and without any hesitation, we agreed because it will be useful for us. We are not sure about the number of matches we will be playing but I can assure you that we play against them ahead of the TNPL," Prasanna said about the initiative.

"Even though you try out a few match simulations in practice sessions, you will get the taste of real match pressure only when you play against quality oppositions. The boys will gain a lot of exposure and will come across a lot of pressure situations. If we address our concerns here, it will be beneficial for us going into the tournament," he added.