Tamil Nadu Premier League facts for kids
The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) is an exciting annual Twenty20 cricket tournament held in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It's like a big cricket festival for the state! The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association organizes this league, and eight teams from different cities in Tamil Nadu compete for the championship.
The first season of the TNPL was played in 2016. Since then, there have been nine seasons, with the latest one being in 2025. The Tiruppur Tamizhans are the current champions, winning their first title in 2025. The team that has won the most titles is the Chepauk Super Gillies, with four championships!
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| Countries | India |
|---|---|
| Administrator | TNCA |
| Format | Twenty20 |
| First edition | 2016 |
| Latest edition | 2025 |
| Next edition | 2026 |
| Tournament format | Round Robin format with Group System and Playoffs |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Current champion | Tiruppur Tamizhans (1st title) |
| Most successful | Chepauk Super Gillies (4 titles) |
| Most runs | N Jagadeesan (2225) |
| Most wickets | R Sai Kishore (75) |
| TV | Star Sports (TV) Fancode (Internet) |
Contents
History of the TNPL
Why the League Started
In 2015, a big cricket team called Chennai Super Kings was not allowed to play for two years. This meant there were no major Twenty20 cricket matches in Tamil Nadu. To fill this gap and give local players a chance, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) decided to start its own T20 league. They announced the first Tamil Nadu Premier League in 2016.
How Teams Were Chosen
The TNPL was planned to have eight teams. In May 2016, the TNCA asked companies to bid for the rights to own a team. Many companies were interested, and the eight teams were chosen. The total money paid for all eight teams was about 335.1 million Indian Rupees.
| Owner | Franchise city | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Thoothukudi Sports & Entertainments | Thoothukudi | ₹52.1 million (US$780,000) |
| Metronation Chennai Television | Chennai | ₹51.3 million (US$760,000) |
| Lyca Productions | Coimbatore | ₹50.1 million (US$750,000) |
| Kothari (Madras) International | Madurai | ₹40.01 million (US$600,000) |
| Ruby Builders | Kanchipuram | ₹36.9 million (US$550,000) |
| VB Cricket Academy | Thiruvallur | ₹34.8 million (US$520,000) |
| Take Solutions | Dindigul | ₹34.2 million (US$510,000) |
| Chettinad Apparels | Karaikkudi | ₹33.0 million (US$490,000) |
First Season Launch
The first TNPL season began in August 2016. It had 27 matches played in three cities: Chennai, Tirunelveli, and Dindigul. Famous cricketer MS Dhoni officially launched the league. The first season included both international and local players.
How the TNPL Works
Game Format
In the first season, all eight teams played against each other once. The top four teams then went to the semifinals. Since the second season, a new system was introduced. Teams still play each other in a "round-robin" style. The top four teams then enter the "playoffs."
The playoffs have three matches before the final. The top two teams play in Qualifier 1. The winner goes straight to the final. The loser of Qualifier 1 plays against the winner of an "eliminator" match. The eliminator is between the third and fourth-place teams. The winner of this second qualifier then plays the winner of Qualifier 1 in the final match for the championship!
Choosing Players and Salaries
For the first season, each team could have 17 to 19 players. Players were put into different price groups. Teams picked players in a "draft" system, where they took turns choosing. For later seasons, teams could keep some players from the year before. A smaller draft was held to pick new players.
In 2018, teams could keep three players. A new draft was held for the rest. By 2019, teams could have up to 22 players. They had to include at least two players from the local areas their team represented.
Before the 2020 season, player salaries were increased. The highest salary was set at 0.6 million Indian Rupees.
| Category | Description | Salary (2016) | Salary (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Players who have played for the Indian national cricket team | ₹0.3 million (US$5,100)–₹0.5 million (US$8,500) | ₹0.6 million (US$10,000) |
| B1–B2 | Players who have played at least 20 TNPL matches or in major Indian domestic games | ₹0.15 million (US$2,600)–₹0.25 million (US$4,300) | ₹0.2 million (US$3,400)–₹0.3 million (US$5,100) |
| C | Other players | ₹0.5 million (US$8,500)–₹1 million (US$17,000) | |
Until 2020, players from outside Tamil Nadu were not allowed to play in the TNPL. For the fifth season, teams could have up to two "outstation" players (players from other states in India) who were not part of the Indian Premier League.
Before the 2023 season, the TNCA changed the system to a player "auction." Each team got 7 million Indian Rupees to spend. For the 2024 season, teams could have up to 20 players. They could keep some players, and the rest were sold in an auction.
| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Players who have played for the Indian national cricket team |
| B | Players who have played at least 20 TNPL matches or in major Indian domestic games |
| C | Players who have played at least 30 TNPL matches (not in categories A and B) |
| D | Other players |
Money in the TNPL
The teams were sold for ten years, bringing in 335.1 million Indian Rupees for the TNCA. The TNPL uses a business model similar to the IPL. For the first five years, about 80% of the money from TV rights and sponsorships was shared among the eight teams. The rest went to the TNCA. Most of this shared money was divided equally, and some was given based on how well teams performed.
Sometimes, teams faced challenges. In 2019, some teams said they were having financial difficulties. They wanted changes, like allowing more players from outside the state. The TNCA explained that it already shares a lot of its income with the teams.
Sponsors of the League
From 2016 to 2019, India Cements was the main sponsor of the league. This means the league was called "India Cements TNPL." In 2020, a new sponsor, the Shriram Group, took over.
| Sponsor | Period |
|---|---|
| India Cements | 2016–2019 |
| Shriram Group | 2021–2023 |
Prize Money for Winners
The team that wins the TNPL gets 10 million Indian Rupees. The runner-up team gets 6 million Indian Rupees. The two teams that reach the semifinals receive 4 million Indian Rupees each. The other four teams each get 2.5 million Indian Rupees.
Watching the TNPL
TV and Online Streaming
In 2016, Star India bought the rights to show the matches for at least five years. Matches are shown on TV with commentary in both English and Tamil. Star also streamed the matches online until 2021. For the 2022 season, Viacom18 got the digital rights. Since the 2023 season, FanCode has been the online streaming partner.
| Period | Television | Digital |
|---|---|---|
| 2016–2021 | Disney Star | |
| 2022 | Disney Star | Voot (Internet) |
| 2023–present | FanCode | |
TNPL Teams
Teams Playing Now
Eight teams currently compete in the TNPL. Each team is named after a city in Tamil Nadu. A team can have up to 20 players, including two players from outside the state.
| Team | City | Captain | Coach | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chepauk Super Gillies | Chennai | Baba Aparajith | Hemang Badani | Metronation Chennai Television |
| Dindigul Dragons | Dindigul | Ravichandran Ashwin | Subramaniam Badrinath | Take Solutions |
| Kovai Kings | Coimbatore | Shahrukh Khan | Sriram Somayajula | Lyca Productions |
| Nellai Royal Kings | Tirunelveli | Arun Karthik | A. G. Guruswamy | Crown Forts |
| Salem Spartans | Salem | Shijit Chandran | B. Ramprakash | Selvakumar |
| Madurai Panthers | Madurai | Hari Nishaanth | Bharath Reddy | Seichem Technologies |
| Trichy Grand Cholas | Tiruchirapalli | Antony Dhas | Tinu Yohannan | Drumstick Productions |
| Tiruppur Tamizhans | Tiruppur | Sai Kishore | Ramaswamy Prasanna | iDream Cinemas and Properties |
Teams That Have Changed or Left
Over the years, some teams have changed their names or moved to different cities. For example, the Kanchi Warriors moved to Tiruchirappalli and became the Trichy Warriors. Some teams were also sold to new owners and got new names.
| Team | City | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Kanchi Warriors | Kanchipuram | 2016 |
| Madurai Super Giants | Madurai | 2016-2017 |
| Thiruvallur Veerans | Tiruvallur | |
| Tuti Patriots | Thoothukudi | 2016–2019 |
| Karaikudi Kaalai | Karaikudi | |
| Kanchi Veerans | Kanchipuram | 2018-2019 |
| Trichy Warriors | Tiruchirappalli | 2017-2022 |
| Ba11sy Trichy | Tiruchirappalli | 2023 |
Team History Timeline
Present teams Former teams
Where Matches Are Played
Cricket Stadiums Used
The TNPL matches are played in different cricket stadiums across Tamil Nadu. For the first four seasons, three main venues were used: the Indian Cement Company Ground in Tirunelveli, the NPR College Ground in Dindigul, and the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The playoffs were always held in Chennai.
Since the 2020 season, two more stadiums have been used: the Salem Cricket Foundation Stadium in Salem and the SNR College Cricket Ground in Coimbatore.
| Stadium | City | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| M. A. Chidambaram Stadium | Chennai | 38,000 |
| Salem Cricket Foundation Stadium | Salem | 5,000 (can be bigger) |
| SNR College Cricket Ground | Coimbatore | Limited (can be bigger) |
| NPR College Ground | Dindigul | 5,000 |
| Indian Cement Company Ground | Tirunelveli | 4,000 |
Seasons and Winners
Season Highlights
Here's a quick look at the winners and top players from each TNPL season:
| Season | Teams | Winner | Player of the series | Most runs | Most wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 | Tuti Patriots | Narayan Jagadeesan (DD) | Narayan Jagadeesan (DD) | Anthony Das (CSG) |
| 2017 | Chepauk Super Gillies | Washington Sundar (TP) | Washington Sundar (TP) | Sai Kishore (CSG) | |
| 2018 | Madurai Panthers | Arun Karthik (MP) | Arun Karthik (MP) | Abhishek Tanwar (MP) | |
| 2019 | Chepauk Super Gillies | Ganeshan Periyaswamy (CSG) | Narayan Jagadeesan (DD) | Ganeshan Periyaswamy (CSG) | |
| 2021 | Chepauk Super Gillies | Hari Nishaanth (DD) | Hari Nishaanth (DD) | Saravana Kumar (TW) | |
| 2022 | Chepauk Super Gillies and Kovai Kings | Sanjay Yadav (NRK) | Sanjay Yadav (NRK) | Abhishek Tanwar (KK) | |
| 2023 | Kovai Kings | Guruswamy Ajitesh (NRK) | Guruswamy Ajitesh (NRK) | Shahrukh Khan (KK) | |
| 2024 | Dindigul Dragons | Shahrukh Khan (KK) | Shivam Singh (DD) | M. Poiyamozhi (SS) | |
| 2025 | Tiruppur Tamizhans | Tushar Raheja (TT) | Sonu Yadav (NRK) | ||
Final Match Results
The final match is always the most exciting! Here are the results of all the TNPL finals:
| Season | Winner | Winning margin | Runner-up | Final venue | Player of the match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Tuti Patriots 215/2 (20 overs) |
Patriots won by 122 runs Scorecard |
Chepauk Super Gillies 93 all out (18.5 overs) |
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Ganesh Moorthi (TP) |
| 2017 | Chepauk Super Gillies 145/4 (19 overs) |
Won by 6 wickets Scorecard |
Tuti Patriots 143/8 (20 overs) |
Vasanth Saravanan (CSG) | |
| 2018 | Madurai Panthers 119/3 (17.1 overs) |
Won by 7 wickets Scorecard |
Dindigul Dragons 117 all out (19.5 overs) |
Arun Karthik (MP) | |
| 2019 | Chepauk Super Gillies 126/8 (20 overs) |
Won by 12 runs Scorecard |
Dindigul Dragons 114/9 (20 overs) |
Ganeshan Periyaswamy (CSG) | |
| 2021 | Chepauk Super Gillies 183/6 (20 overs) |
Won by 8 runs Scorecard |
Trichy Warriors 175/7 (20 overs) |
Narayan Jagadeesan (CSG) | |
| 2022 | Chepauk Super Gillies and Kovai Kings Joint winners |
No Result Scorecard |
SNR College Cricket Ground, Coimbatore | Sandeep Warrier (CSG) | |
| 2023 | Kovai Kings 205/5 (20 overs) |
Won by 104 runs Scorecard |
Nellai Royal Kings 101 all out (15 overs) |
Indian Cement Company Ground | Jhathavedh Subramanyan (KK) |
| 2024 | Dindigul Dragons 131/4 (18.2 overs) |
Won by 6 wickets Scorecard |
Kovai Kings 129/7 (20 overs) |
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | Ravichandran Ashwin (DD) |
| 2025 | Tiruppur Tamizhans 220/5 (20 overs) |
Won by 118 runs Scorecard |
Dindigul Dragons 102 (14.4 overs) |
NPR College Ground, Dindigul | Tushar Raheja (TT) |
How Teams Have Performed
This table shows how each team has done in every season:
| Season | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022^ | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chepauk Super Gillies | RU | C | 8th | C | C | C | 5th | PO | PO |
| Dindigul Dragons | SF | 6th | RU | RU | PO | 6th | PO | C | RU |
| Tiruppur Tamizhans | 5th | PO | PO | 8th | 8th | 5th | 6th | PO | C |
| Kovai Kings | SF | PO | PO | 5th | PO | C | C | RU | 6th |
| Madurai Panthers† / Madurai Super Giants | 8th | 8th | C | PO | 6th | PO | PO | 7th | 8th |
| Thiruvallur Veerans† / Kanchi Veerans† / Nellai Royal Kings | 6th | 5th | 7th | PO | 5th | PO | RU | 5th | 7th |
| Kanchi Warriors† / Trichy Warriors† / Ba11sy Trichy† / Trichy Grand Cholas | 7th | 7th | 6th | 7th | RU | 7th | 8th | 6th | PO |
| Tuti Patriots† / Salem Spartans | C | RU | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 7th | 8th | 5th |
† Team now defunct
^ Final was a no-result and trophy shared
- C: champions
- RU: runner-up
- SF or PO: team qualified for the semi-final or playoff stage of the competition
TNPL Records
Highest Team Scores
These are the highest scores made by teams in a single match:
| Score | Team | Opponent | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 236/2 | Nellai Royal Kings | Trichy Warriors | 2022 |
| 220/5 | IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans | Dindigul Dragons | 2025 |
| 217/5 | Chepauk Super Gillies | Salem Spartans | 2023 |
| 215/2 | Tuti Patriots | Chepauk Super Gillies | 2016 |
| 212/7 | Chepauk Super Gillies | Nellai Royal Kings | 2025 |
Source:
Most Runs by Players
These players have scored the most runs in the history of the TNPL:
| Runs | Batter | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 2260 | Narayan Jagadeesan | 2016-2024 |
| 2145 | Arun Karthik | 2016-2024 |
| 2035 | Baba Aparajith | 2016-2024 |
| 1607 | Kaushik Gandhi | 2016-2023 |
| 1561 | Hari Nishaanth | 2016-2024 |
Source:
Highest Individual Scores
These are the highest scores made by a single player in one match:
| Runs | Batter | Opponent | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 123* | Sai Sudharsan (Kovai Kings) | Tiruppur Tamizhans | 2024 |
| 121 | Murali Vijay (Trichy Warriors) | Nellai Royal Kings | 2022 |
| 118* | Baba Aparajith (Kanchi Veerans) | Karaikudi Kaalai | 2016 |
| 112* | Bharath Shankar (Trichy Warriors) | 2017 | |
| 112 | Gurusamy Ajitesh (Nellai Royal Kings) | Kovai Kings | 2023 |
Source:
Most Wickets by Bowlers
These bowlers have taken the most wickets in the TNPL:
| Wickets | Bowler | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| 78 | Sai Kishore | 2016-2024 |
| 74 | Abhishek Tanwar | 2016-2024 |
| 72 | Athisayaraj Davidson | 2016-2024 |
| 68 | Rahil Shah | 2016-2023 |
| 65 | Harish Kumar | 2016-2024 |
Source:
See also
- List of regional T20 cricket leagues in India
