633 players part of TNPL 5 draft

Category A consists of only two players – Vijay Shankar and Abhinav Mukund – while Category B1 comprises 47 players. Category B2 contains 11 players, who have featured in at least 20 TNPL matches, with the rest making up Category C. India international Vijay Shankar, wicketkeeper-batsman Narayan Jagadeesan and the slinging Ganeshan Periyasamy are expected to be the hot picks at the draft.

While Vijay Shankar and Periyasamy turned out for two-time champion Chepauk Super Gillies in the previous edition, Jagadeesan donned the Dindigul Dragons colours. All eight participating teams come into the draft having retained the maximum limit of three players. The minimum squad size is 16, with the maximum being 22.

Two teams have undergone an overhaul, including a change in their names for the new season, which will take place between June 10 and July 12. Tuti Patriots will be known as Salem Spartans while iDream Karaikudi Kaalai will be iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans. While Salem will have the opportunity to pick first, Tiruppur will be last in the order.

Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) President Rupa Gurunath on Wednesday revealed two new venues – Salem Cricket Foundation Ground in Salem and SNR Ground in Coimbatore – have been added to the roster.

“We are delighted to take TNPL to Salem and Coimbatore. We have received tremendous response in Dindigul and Tirunelveli and that has encouraged us to spread our wings,” said Rupa. For the first time since the inception of the eight-team league, Chennai will not hold a match.

The NPR College Ground in Dindigul and the India Cements-Sankar Nagar Ground in Tirunelveli will be the other two venues for the fifth edition.