Sai Kishore, Sanjay turn heads in auction with record sum at TNPL 2024

The 2024 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League will be held from July 5 to August 4, with the league phase to be played in four cities: Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Salem and Coimbatore.

Tamil Nadu’s skipper Sai Kishore, who was released by Tiruppur Tamizhans, returned the side in style, now, as one of the two most expensive players in the TNPL 2024 auction. | Photo Credit: Periasamy M/ The Hindu

R. Sai Kishore and R. Sanjay Yadav were the big winners in the second Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) player auctions, with both players fetching a record sum of Rs 22 lakh on Wednesday.

A total of 61 players were sold in the auction ahead of the eighth season to be held later this year. IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans brought back Sai Kishore, and R. Sanjay Yadav will turn out for Trichy Grand Cholas after being with Chepauk Super Gillies last year.

Incidentally, last year, B. Sai Sudharsan became the costliest player in the TNPL when defending champions Lyca Kovai Kings shelled Rs 22 lakh for the left-handed opener.

🌟 Presenting the premier picks of the TNPL Player Auction 2024!#TNPL2024#TNPLAuction#NammaOoruNammaGethupic.twitter.com/soLTRPGRIH

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The Tiruppur side also acquired left-arm pacer T. Natarajan for Rs 11.25 lakh, who turned out for the Trichy team last year, while all-rounder S. Harish Kumar got a huge bid of Rs 15.40 lakh by Salem Spartans. The Spartans also got the big-hitting R. Vivek for a considerable sum of Rs 11 lakh.

Some other big winners were all-rounder Abhishek Tanwar, who went to Chepauk Super Gillies for Rs 12.20 lakh, pacer Sandeep Warrier (Dindigul Dragons, Rs 10.50 lakh) and R.S. Mokit Hariharan (Nellai Royal Kings, Rs 10.20 lakh).

Dragons skipper R. Ashwin said, “We wanted one marquee fast bowler and were looking at Sandeep Warrier or T. Natarajan based on who came first on the list. We are delighted we got Sandeep for Rs 10.50 lakh.”

The 2024 edition of the TNPL will be held from July 5 to August 4, with the league phase to be played in four cities: Dindigul, Tirunelveli, Salem and Coimbatore. The second qualifier and the final will be played in Chennai at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, marking the return of TNPL to the city for the first time since 2021.

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Earlier, former BCCI President and ICC Chairman N. Srinivasan graced the event and congratulated Indian off-spinner Ashwin. “I am here to congratulate Ashwin on his upcoming 500th wicket, more than the auction. TN cricket has been kind to witness a player like him,” said Srinivasan.

Sold players (all prices in lakhs):

Lyca Kovai Kings: Meeran Rahil Rehman (Rs 0.50 lakh), G.R. Manish (0.50), G.V. Vignesh (0.50);

Nellai Royal Kings: R.S. Mokit Hariharan (10.20), R. Silambarasan (5.00), V. Gowtham (1.60), S. Gohul Moorthi (0.5), A.V. Abilash (0.50), R. Kirubakar (0.50).

Dindigul Dragons: Sandeep Warrier (10.50), Rohan Raju (0.50), B. Rocky (0.50), K. Aashiq (0.50), K. Om Nitin (0.50), P. Elaya Raja (0.50).

Siechem Madurai Panthers: N.S. Chaturved (6.00), U. Sasidev (5.20), R. Alexander (1.50), V.S. Karthick Manikandan (0.70), J. Ajay Chetan (0.70), M. Akram Khan (0.50), L. Kiran Akash (0.50).

Chepauk Super Gillies: Abhishek Tanwar (12.20), G. Periyasamy (8.80), Daryl S Ferrario (4.00), B. Surya (4.00), R. Sathish (2.00), A. Aswin Crist (2.00), M. Shahjahan (1.00), C. Andre Siddarth (0.50), D. Santhosh Kumar (0.50).

IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans: R. Sai Kishore (22.00), T. Natarajan (11.25), Maan K Bafna (2.30), M. Mathivanan (2.20), R. Rohit (2.00), V. Anovankar (0.50), R. Ram Kumar (0.50), J. Jeevanandham (0.50), V.P. Amith Sathvik (0.50), M. Karthik Saran (0.50).

Salem Spartans: S. Harish Kumar (15.40), R. Vivek (11.00), M. Poiyamozhi (7.25), R. Aushik Srinivas (2.00), Robin Bist (2.00), P. Shijit Chandran (1.00), K. Vishal Vaidhya (0.50), R. Rajan (0.50), M.E. Yazh Arun Mozhi (0.50), V. Tharun Kumar (0.50), Sudhan Sanjeevi Kandepan (0.50).

Trichy Grand Cholas: R. Sanjay Yadav (22.00), Arjun P Murthy (7.25), P. Saravana Kumar (4.80), Vignesh Kannan (2.80), P. Nirmal Kumar (0.50), S. Shyam Sundar (0.50), N. Mohammed Ashik (0.50), Arya Yohan Menon (0.50), J. Rejin (0.50).