Former India stumper Bharath Reddy will take over as coach of the Seichem Madurai Panthers in the upcoming third edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL).
He will face the challenging task of lifting a side that had finished at the bottom of the table in the first two seasons – Madurai lost 13 of its 14 matches — of this Twenty20 competition.
The 63-year-old Bharath, who played four Tests for India in England during 1979, has a job on his hands. He has a lot of things going for him though.
Bharath is tactically sound, possessing one of the sharpest cricketing minds in the State. As he manages cricket operations for Chemplast-Sanmar, Bharath comprehends that the present generation of Tamil Nadu cricketers is in touch with the modern game.
READ: TNPL 2018 draft to be held on May 31
These qualities will be needed by a Madurai side that has gone through the horrors. The team was called Madurai Super Giants in 2016 and then changed its name to Madurai Super Giant in 2017 without any change in luck.
The Madurai outfit has had a turbulent time with its coaches as well. Former Australian star Michael Bevan was at the helm in 2016, but left for home mid-way through the season. Furthermore, the team was guided by former Tamil Nadu cricketer Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan in 2017.
The side was bought this season by P. Damodaran, who owns Seichem Technologies and is secretary of the Cricket Association of Puducherry. The team underwent another name change and retained just a cricketer, K.B. Arun Karthick ahead of the player draft on May 31.
Known for his talent spotting ability, Bharath will strive to zero in on the right kind of cricketers during the TNPL player draft. He understands that finding ‘balance’ will be the key to success.
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