Sai Sudharsan

Cricket and Chennai go hand-in-hand. Cinema and Chennai too goes hand-in-hand. Coffee and Chennai, that too makes for a riveting love-story.&nbsp;But there is just one part of the above three C&rsquo;s that connects <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/69500/sai-sudharsan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sai Sudharsan</a> with the city, and that&rsquo;s cricket. The southpaw is 21 but at this age, has already won a Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) title, a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) title and the biggest of them all - the Indian Premier League.How can you track his growth? Earlier on Thursday (February 23), the TNPL franchise, Lyca Kovai Kings acquired the services of the southpaw for a massive sum of INR 21.6 lakhs, more than what he had earnt from his contract in the IPL with Gujarat Titans (INR 20 lakhs).It is hard to fathom such an instant growth in Indian cricket but at the same time, the question remains: can he sustain this form? Prodigy and talent only brings you so far but from thereon, if the performances are not in alignment with the talent, then a batter is done and dusted.&nbsp;Cricket.com caught up with the youngster, and had some tricky questions for the southpaw but he smashed us just like he does the bowlers. Here is the excerpt:&nbsp;Talk about your cricketing journey and how was cricket growing up for you?Actually, first I was studying in DAV (Dayanand Anglo-Vedic) school, that&#39;s where my cricketing journey started. My father was training for athletics, so my journey really started there with the tennis-ball.In childhood, there was a rule or something that you have to score in every game. That has really made me mentally tough. There can&#39;t be mentally excuses and in every game I had to score. That&#39;s what my mom and dad used to tell me. That&#39;s one thing I vividly recollect from my young days of playing cricket.So, this tag of being a heavy run-scorer, does that come from the upbringing or is it the hunger?<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1677231602884-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">I think both the reasons - one is the upbringing and the other, passion to score runs. Definitely the passion to score runs has been one of the major things for me. The hunger to score runs is definitely there, it was inculcated from how they brought me up. That&#39;s the main reason for hunger. My parents weren&#39;t strict but they were quite disciplined, and that&#39;s something that they wanted to inculcate in me from a young age.You&rsquo;ve shared a dressing room with the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, did you pick a thing or two during the U-19 days?Definitely, at that time I wasn&#39;t even close (performance-wise) to the likes of (Yashasvi) Jaiswal and Tilak (Varma), they were actually playing at a different level. I felt that I had to improve a lot, during the U-19 challengers. I was actually room-mates with Jaiswal, and I did speak to him a lot of times and shared knowledge.&nbsp;After a few years and during the lockdown, there wasn&#39;t much skill-difference between the players but had learnt that there was a mental shift, which made them better than the others. Mental shift is something I learnt from them, the way they prepare and approach, including the intent.Talk to us about the 87 that you scored against Salem Spartans in the TNPL, how was that challenge? Facing some of the best spinners from the state?&nbsp;I wanted to play TNPL for a long time, it was the perfect platform for me to showcase my skills. I feel at that time, everyone had a long break, I was just training and working on my skills. The hunger was more during that time, it reflected in that knock and the season. I was not nervous, I had butterflies in and around before the match. Once I got the first run, everything just fell in place.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1677230838827-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">I feel when the mind is calm and you are thinking of what to do, that&#39;s when I think the batter is in a good frame. If everything happens in a smooth manner, that&#39;s when you get to know.TNPL winner, SMAT winner, IPL winner with Gujarat Titans, and now a match as Tamil Nadu&rsquo;s vice-captain, all of this at the age of 21, has that sunk in?Being a vice-captain for the Ranji Trophy side in the year of debuting, it is surreal for me. I never expected that I would get the vice-captaincy but having said that, I&#39;m very happy for the opportunity that TNCA (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) have presented me, it has added more responsibility in the coming years. We have to win, we have to perform better, that thought has sunk in more for me.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1677231050481-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The IPL win was also surreal, going into the first season of the IPL and winning it, it is quite special. We are very happy also, I can&#39;t quite explain that feeling. It is still (sinking in) for me.From being hailed as a run-accumulator, where did this power emerge from? Was it something you have consciously worked on?I had put in a lot of effort, I have to credit that COVID period, where I worked a lot on my batting. At that time, I used to practise different shots, and play a lot of scenario cricket, and that actually helped me a lot. The two years were fully loaded with such sessions and stuff.Some of your shots are reminiscent of Washington Sundar, did you model your game on his batting style?We (Washington and I) have played a few games together but definitely, I look up to many people and one of them is Washi (Washington Sundar), he progressed very quickly in his career. He went to the IPL and then straight to the Indian team, I was very impressed with his growth. I have followed many people like him, he&#39;s one of them.What was the GT experience like, what was it like to work with Ashish Nehra and Gary Kirsten?He&#39;s (Nehra) one of the best human beings that I have ever seen till now. Even from a groundsman to Hardik (Pandya) Bhai also, he gives equal importance. It is insane, he makes everyone feel special and precious.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1677230966880-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">If you know <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/2214/ashish-nehra/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nehra</a> sir, he would have given you that feeling as well and some special moments in life. That&#39;s his character, he&#39;s very cool. I would credit Gujarat&#39;s success to his attitude as a coach, that character definitely has come through to the group.I have picked a lot of things from <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/1739/gary-kirsten/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gary</a> (Kirsten), he has always spoken from a player&#39;s perspective. It is a pleasure working with a World-Cup winning coach. Before my debut as well, he asked me if I was ready and had a good conversation with me. He asked me to go express myself, and lauded my abilities. He also focuses more on the preparation.A word on Hardik Pandya, the captain and the person? Was his door always open for the youngsters?<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/63751/hardik-pandya/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hardik&#39;s</a> (Pandya) door is 100% open for everyone in the team. I think he&#39;s insanely confident in his abilities and decisions. I have learnt how he presents himself and his confidence is immense. I have learnt those small attributes from him. The way he approaches, his attitude is something that I have picked up.From First-Division cricket to debuting for Tamil Nadu, what&rsquo;s that journey like?First-Division is the base for everything that I&#39;m now. In the lockdown too, I got a lot of support from everyone, including Jolly Rovers, and that has helped me a lot to improve as a cricketer. Before going to the Ranji Trophy side, I had a lot of people to see as role-models too.It was a very special moment for me, it is every young kid&#39;s dream to play in the Ranji Trophy, to represent the Tamil Nadu side. The first thing that was special for me was to get the Ranji cap, I got the cap from (Baba) Aparajith and that was quite special. I was a little bit nervous on the first day of the morning but I had a lot of butterflies too. Once the batting started on a good note, everything fell in place, and I didn&rsquo;t have to worry about a lot of things.Tamil Nadu adopted a rather very bold approach with the bat? Have you guys coined a term for that like Baz-ball or is it work-in-progress?Not yet but there were a lot of funny conversations, we were batting at a good rate but we haven&#39;t come up with a name like Baz-ball yet. I don&#39;t want to name it yet (chuckles), let&#39;s see.Talk about that partnership - the 416-run partnership with Jagadeesan, and the world record that Tamil Nadu holds of highest run scored in a List-A innings?It was really special and I have to thank him because we now have a world-record, that is very special for everyone. We got the highest run in List-A cricket, the way he was batting, he was in his peak form, he was striking it too well and every ball he was intending to get a boundary.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 934px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1594599870526283776&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Fno-more-just-a-prodigy-sai-sudharsan-aims-to-fulfill-potential-1677232237243&sessionId=31988853ba3a0832559e2ce539e29e75f06bcbef&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1594599870526283776"></iframe></div>That game I played second-fiddle and just wanted to give him the strike. We spoke about how we batted after the game, so I was telling him that with how you were going, I just wanted to give you the strike.Now, the Ranji Trophy debut? Did the missed win against Hyderabad sting the team?To be honest, their 9th wicket partnership frustrated us, they played for close to 13-14 overs (sic). We were mentally ready that we were going to try to chase that score and we went to the run-chase with that intent. That seven points was always going to be important for us going into the season.That was the conversation we had, that also was unreal innings that Jaggi Anna (Jagadeesan) played, we didn&#39;t expect it to go this well. He got eight sixes in the span of three overs, it was great watching him from the other end.100%, we felt that Hyderabad slowed the game down and wasted some time in the second innings. But that is cricket, and every team will do the same thing. Even if we were in that position, we would have done the same thing. So, we can&#39;t give that as an excuse.Did the missed opportunity against Andhra Pradesh ultimately cost you a qualification place?I won&#39;t say that it was only that (Andhra) game that cost Tamil Nadu a qualification spot, we didn&#39;t leave a lead against Maharashtra and Mumbai. But that game was an important game. We were through almost but we couldn&#39;t finish it off. That game changed in one session, I think we also had a bad decision. So, it was a bit of both that cost us.Your form dipped during the season, did you feel some sort of pressure?<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1677232002248-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Definitely, I felt something, I started the season very well but credits to the team management, they kept instilling confidence. But I didn&#39;t feel like I was not scoring, I was only focusing on the right plans, and how I would react to the things. I didn&#39;t go too much into scoring runs but was thinking about the process and was working towards that.Let&rsquo;s get to the big question, what happened to your leg-spin? Have you worked on that?I love to bowl leg-spin to be honest, after school I suddenly grew tall and then everything changed, including the release point. I found it very difficult, I&#39;m working on it everyday now. Not that much (on conversations with Rashid), I haven&#39;t had a big conversation with Rashid Khan yet. He gave me a few tips here and there. This season, I would love to get his knowledge, I would want to develop as a bowler as well.What are you looking forward to this season?&nbsp;Not many expectations, I have to express myself well and fulfill my potential, definitely I have to prepare well for it and handle the pressure. These are some of the things that I&#39;m more worried about and not about runs.Excited to meet Kane Williamson? What&rsquo;s your ultimate ambitions for your cricketing life?100%, I want to meet Kane Williamson, it is an honour for me to share the dressing room. I would love to have a conversation with Miller, and Kane the way he bats not just in T20I and even in Tests, that&#39;s something I want to learn.Playing for India, not just Tests is my dream. That&#39;s probably the dream of many kids in the country. But I have to work a lot to get to that level, so that&#39;s going to be my goal.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

In an exclusive chat with Cricket.com, the southpaw spoke about early cricketing days, the feeling of winning an IPL and much more

Indian Premier League, 2022

Tamil Nadu Premier League, 2022

Lyca Kovai Kings

Gujarat Titans

No more just a prodigy, Sai Sudharsan aims to fulfill potential

<a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/66451/narayan-jagadeesan/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">N Jagadeesan</a>&#39;s mantra to success is quite simple: stay in the middle and bat till the 50 overs.In the form of his life, Jagadeesan on Monday smashed a world record breaking 277, the highest List A score ever, to fire Tamil Nadu to an incredible <a href="https://www.cricket.com/match-score/216745/summary/ap-vs-tn-match-100-vijay-hazare-trophy-2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">435-run win over Arunachal Pradesh</a> in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy.His blistering knock saw him break the 20-year old List A record held by Alistair Brown, who hit 268 for Surrey vs Glamorgan.&quot;It felt really good...,&quot; said Jaggi, as he is called by his teammates, when asked about his reaction to smashing a world record score.&quot;I mean I think not only this game but even in the other games the only aim for me is to play 50 overs. Who the opposition is doesn&#39;t matter. There is one process for me, the aim is to stay in the middle.&quot; It was the &#39;keeper-batter&#39;s fifth consecutive hundred as he pulverised the hapless Arunachal bowling attack, scoring 277 from 141 balls which included 15 sixes.His pyrotechnics saw Tamil Nadu amass 506 for 2 in 50 overs. The TN bowlers then bundled out Arunachal for 71 to set up the biggest ever win in List A matches.Jagadeesan has been around in the Tamil Nadu squad for some six years now and at times has been shuffled around the batting order when Dinesh Karthik is available. The 26-year old said he has been working a lot on his batting and fitness.&quot;I have been working a lot on my batting and also my keeping and especially on my fitness. I have been doing it for some time now. Eventually when I score runs I feel good,&quot; he said.Jagadeesan said he cherished his 128-run knock against Haryana the most.&quot;I think I would have to say (the one against) Haryana was very good. They had a good bowling attack and the ball was seaming around even in the 40th over. Obviously I cherish all the knocks but the Haryana one was tougher.&quot; Asked if he was aware of the record, Jagadeesan said he was just following the process.&quot;No, not really, I was not really thinking about all the records. It was just about batting and following all that I have been doing.&quot; Apart from the highest ever List A score, Jagadeesan and his opening partner B Sai Sudharsan set a record for highest partnership for any wicket in a 50-overs game.The two added 416 runs for the first wicket, eclipsing the previous record of 372 between <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/1201/chris-gayle/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chris Gayle</a> and <a href="https://www.cricket.com/players/2630/marlon-samuels/career-stats" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marlon Samuels</a> for the second wicket for West Indies against Zimbabwe in an ODI in 2015.&quot;It has been amazing. I love batting with Sai. We complement each other a lot. We run hard between the wickets, that is something which we feel really good about. We enjoy each other&#39;s company.&quot; On keeping wickets after batting for nearly 50 overs, Jagadeesan said: &quot;I am really happy about that to be honest. After working hard on my fitness, for me to play almost 50 hours and then keep wickets, it feels good.&quot; Jagadeesan was recently released by IPL giants Chennai Super Kings ahead of next month&#39;s mini auction.&quot;That&#39;s not my choice, it was their choice. It is not something which I could control. The only thing I could do was control how I could play.&quot; He was with CSK for four years and got to play seven IPL games.Tamil Nadu coach M Venkataramana was all praise for Jagadeesan and Sudharsan.&quot;Great tournament for both Sai and Jagadeesan so far. They complement each other well and the energy levels they have on the field is tremendous. Both play some good cricketing shots to build a long innings. Their intent and hunger to score big can be seen in their approach,&quot; he said.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

The Tamil Nadu opener shattered multiple List A records as he scored 277 on Monday against Arunachal Pradesh

Narayan Jagadeesan

Vijay Hazare Trophy, 2022

Tamil Nadu

Arunachal Pradesh

My only aim is to play 50 overs: TN's Jagadeesan after smashing record List A score

21st November 2022: When the world of cricket and the Indian fans are still reeling from India&#39;s crushing defeat against England in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup Down Under, the next generation of players are grinding through the gruelling season of domestic cricket, trying to make a mark for themselves in this sport.As most people say, cricket can be a cruel sport, and there ain&#39;t any place to hide after lukewarm performances, but as players, we look at it as an opportunity to create something incredibly special every time we step onto the field.&nbsp;It has been a tough week for most of the players plying their trade in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as the Indian Premier League retentions were confirmed. For players who managed to be a part of the ten squads, it was a sigh of relief, but the same cannot be said about players released from the franchises without getting much opportunities.&nbsp;And one such player is Narayan Jagadeesan.&nbsp;The 26-year-old is making the noises for all the right reasons in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, and on Monday, 21st November, <a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/n-jagadeesan-tamil-nadu-enter-record-books-after-sublime-hitting-1669020470204" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">he showcased his white-ball credentials</a> to announce to the world why he is rated so highly among the Tamil Nadu camp.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1669024154468-articleimg" style="width: 600px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">A week after being released by the Chennai Super Kings after only four games for the franchise across three seasons, it was time for Jagadeesan to ensure his bat does all the talking for his stateside.&nbsp;Despite being dismissed cheaply in Tamil Nadu&#39;s first clash against Bihar, the right-handed batter vowed to make the rest of the opportunities count in the league stage of the competition.&nbsp;And what followed later was a testimony to years of hard work away from the glaring eyes of the media and slowly emerging from the shadows of more prominent wicketkeepers in the side like Dinesh Karthik and MS Dhoni for Tamil Nadu and Chennai.&nbsp;Four league matches and four scintillating centuries in the games that followed not only showcased an immense amount of skill and determination but also ensured that cricketing pundits across the nation stand and applauded this mammoth effort.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 949px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1593887969097969664&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Frecord-tumble-in-bengaluru-as-jagadeesan-reinforces-white-ball-credentials-1669024519145&sessionId=61dabc6f918e81ac03fc86619219da4660fe861b&theme=light&widgetsVersion=a3525f077c700%3A1667415560940&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1593887969097969664"></iframe></div>While he joined the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Devdutt Padikkal to smash four successive centuries, the Coimbatore-born player was not done yet.&nbsp;And on Monday, it was time for him to shine bright and etch his name in the record books of world cricket.&nbsp;On a rather dull and cloudy Monday morning in the garden city of India, Tamil Nadu and Arunachal Pradesh went through their morning routines at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.&nbsp;With two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum locking horns, there was hardly any interest among the fans to throng the stadium. While Tamil Nadu were unbeaten in the five games, Arunachal failed to get over the line in their league games, pretty much summing up the mood in both camps.&nbsp;With overcast conditions on offer, Kamsha Yangfo, the skipper of Arunachal Pradesh, opted to field first, aiming to give his bowlers a chance to use the fresh wicket on offer.&nbsp;While the move seemed to completely backfired as Jagadeesan, along with Sai Sudharshan, started the proceedings well for Tamil Nadu by negating the early swing on offer and capitalising on the bad deliveries.&nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1669024302377-articleimg" style="width: 600px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">With the conditions getting conducive for strokeplay and the blistering form of the duo, Tamil Nadu pressed on the accelerator after the completion of the field restrictions. The left-right combination have been creating wonders for the Yellow outfit and today was no different.&nbsp;They recorded an opening partnership of 416 runs, the highest-ever for any wicket in List A cricket, to stamp their authority on Arunachal Pradesh with over 12 overs to spare.&nbsp;En route to this blazing partnership, Jagadeesan smashed his fifth consecutive hundred in the competition, making him the first player across the globe to achieve this feat.&nbsp;While he successfully managed to rewrite the record books with his century, the 26-year-old continued to punish the opposition bowling unit in the next 45 minutes that followed.&nbsp;And as clich&eacute; as it may sound, once you get your hundred, make sure you make it big, and he did exactly that as he got to his double hundred in 114 deliveries, the joint fastest in List A cricket along with Travis Head. &nbsp;<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1669024340388-articleimg" style="width: 600px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">With 77 more runs to his tally, he was finally dismissed in the 42nd over of the innings, bringing an end to a knock that will be etched in the history of Indian cricket as it laid the foundation for Tamil Nadu to breach the 500-run mark for the first time in the history of List A cricket.&nbsp;Four hours of exhilarating cricket that shattered possibly every record in world cricket reinstates the value of domestic cricket and the possible reason why Indian cricket is growing leaps and bounds.&nbsp;A week prior, nobody would have given Jagadeesan a chance to weave his magic in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League due to his past failures, but his recent outings are sure to attract many eyeballs in the mini-auction.&nbsp;And dare I say, with teams eyeing an Indian wicketkeeper, 23rd December might just open a plethora of opportunities for Jagadeesan in the extravaganza.&nbsp;Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

En route to his scintillating 277 against Arunachal Pradesh, the wicket-keeper batter smashed numerous records in List A cricket

MS Dhoni

Dinesh Karthik

Records tumble in Bengaluru as Jagadeesan reinforces white-ball credentials

Nagarkoti, Deepak Chahar star as Rajasthan down DelhiPacers Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Aniket Choudhary claimed three wickets each while Deepak Chahar contributed with 2-45 with the ball and 18 runs with bat as Rajasthan beat Delhi by 52 runs in Kolkata.Delhi, who were without captain Shikhar Dhawan, managed to restrict a strong Rajasthan line-up with 218 all out as veteran pacer Ishant Sharma claimed 2-31 with help from Mayank Yadav (3-59), Lalit Yadav (2-26) and Shivank Vasisht (2-31). Legspinner Ravi Bishnoi (1-27) and Rahul Chahar (1-24) claimed key wickets as Delhi were all out for 166. Navdeep Saini, who went wicketless in the first innings, stemmed Delhi&rsquo;s collapse for a while with 22 off 55 balls. Young batter Yash Dhull managed only 4 off 6 balls before being bowled by Deepak Chahar.Brief Scores: Rajasthan 218 all out (48.5 overs) beat Delhi 166 all out (42 overs) by 52 runs.Ramandeep hat-trick propels Punjab to massive winRight-arm pacer Ramandeep Singh claimed a hat-trick by removing Baroda&rsquo;s Vikram Solanki, Ninad Rathva and captain Ambati Rayudu and finished with 5-17 as Punjab romped to a nine-wicket victory in Mumbai.Left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma contributed with 3-17 as Baroda were bundled out for 81 runs. Punjab opener Prabhsimran Singh smashed 62 off the target in 48 balls as they razed the target in 12 overs.Brief Scores: Punjab 82/1 (12 overs) beat Baroda 81 all out (20.4 overs) by 9 wickets.Himachal trounce ManipurOpener Shubham Arora&rsquo;s 133 and Amit Kumar&rsquo;s 120 off 97 balls propelled defending champions Himachal Pradesh to a 199-run win over Manipur in Delhi.The holders used eight bowlers to defend a total of 363 as they managed to restrict Manipur to 163/8 in 50 overs. Siddharth Sharma, Mayank Dagar and Akash Vasisht claimed two wickets each as Himachal comfortably won the game.Brief Scores: Himachal Pradesh 362/4 (50 overs) beat Manipur 163/8 (50 overs) by 199 runs.Gaikwad, Kazi star in Maharashtra&#39;s narrow win over Bengal<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1668518462727-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 40 while Kedhar Jadhav scored 42 who were later upstaged by Azim Kazi&#39;s 106 off 97 balls as they beat Bengal by three wickets in Ranchi.Batting first, Bengal posted 279/6 in 50 overs after opener Sudip Gharami scored 127 off 132 balls while India allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed scored 62 off 64 balls. Opening alongside Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi managed only 2 off 14 balls.Brief Scores: Maharashtra 282/7 (50 overs) beat Bengal 279/6 (50 overs) by 3 wickets.Saha&rsquo;s ton in vain as Tripura lose to ChandigarhWriddhiman Saha&rsquo;s 101 off 106 balls took Tripura close to a famous victory against Chandigarh, but his dismissal in the penultimate over by pacer Sandeep Sharma saw them lose by just four runs.Chasing 256 in Delhi, Saha added 148 for the fifth wicket with Rajat Dey (78) before taking them closer to the target. Rohit Dhanda removed Abhijit Sarkar and Rana Dutta in the final over as Chandigarh eked out a narrow run.Brief Scores: Chandigarh 255/6 (50 overs) beat Tripura 251/9 (50 overs) by 4 runs.Tanmay, Tilak Varma shine as Hyderabad stun SaurashtraCaptain Tanmay Agarwal scored 124 off 119 balls while opening partner Rohit Rayudu scored 83 off 97 balls as Hyderabad chased down 313 with five wickets in hand against Saurashtra. Young left-hander Tilak Varma contributed with 45 off 36 balls while T. Ravi Teja smashed 34 off 23 balls as Hyderabad reached the target in 48.5 overs.Saurashtra opener Harvik Desai&rsquo;s 102 off 120 balls was overshadowed by Agarwal as Cheteshwar Pujara managed 17 off 36 balls.Brief Scores: Hyderabad 314/5 (48.5 overs) beat Saurashtra 312/9 (50 overs) by 5 wickets.Mayank, pacers help Karnataka trounce Jharkhand<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1668518520636-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Karnataka captain Mayank Agarwal scored 53 off 63 while pacers V Koushik (3-18), Vidwath Kaverappa (2-17) and Manoj Bhandage (2-25) struck in unison to help the four-time champions beat Jharkhand by six wickets in Kolkata.Jharkhand&rsquo;s wicketkeeper batter Kumar Kushagra (56) and Saurabh Tiwary (11) were the only ones to reach double figures as they all out for 107. Manish Pandey managed 24 off 43 balls in the chase as Karnataka reached the target by the 27th over comfortably.Brief Scores: Karnataka 108/4 (26.3 overs) beat Jharkhand 107 all out (40.4 overs) by 6 wickets.Sindhu, Jayant Yadav star in Haryana&rsquo;s big winIndia&rsquo;s Under-19 World Cup winning allrounder Nishant Sindhu (3-34) and offspinner Jayant Yadav (3-26) along with Rahul Tewatia (2-29) ran riot as Haryana trounced Bihar by nine wickets in Bengaluru.Pacers Jaideep Bhambhu and Mohit Sharma contributed with a wicket each. Chasing a paltry 159, Haryana skipper Himanshu Rana scored an unbeaten 101 off 57 balls as they chased down the target in 22.2 overs.Brief Scores: Haryana 159/1 (22.2 overs) beat Bihar 158 all out (47.5 overs) by 9 wicketsSai Sudarshan shines for TN againYoung batter B. Sai Sudarshan (121) and opening partner N Jagadeesan (107) overshadowed centuries by Harpreet Singh Bhatia (121) and Amandeep Khare (115) as Tamil Nadu edged out Chhattisgarh by 14 runs in Bengaluru.Experienced batter Baba Aparajith scored 36 not out off 19 balls at the end as TN posted 340/6 in 50 overs batting first. They managed to restrict Chhattisgarh 326/8 thanks to Sonu Yadav&rsquo;s 3-47.Brief Scores: Tamil Nadu 340/6 (50 overs) beat Chhattisgarh 326/8 (50 overs) by 14 runs.Kunnummal&rsquo;s fiery ton propels Kerala to winYoung opener Rohan Kunnummal came up with another blitz by smashing 17 boundaries and four sixes in his 101-ball 134 as Kerala beat Goa by five wickets in Bengaluru. The lefthander had scored 77 not out in just 28 balls against Andhra in the previous match.Batting first, Goa managed 241/8 in 50 overs after right-arm pacer Akhil Scaria claimed 3-34 with Nedumankuzhy Basil claimed 2-42. Captain Sachin Baby scored an unbeaten 51 off 54 balls as Kerala survived a three-wicket burst from Siddesh Lad to reach the target in 38.1 overs.Brief Scores: Kerala 242/5 (38.1 overs) beat Goa 241/8 (50 overs) by 5 wickets.KS Bharat hundred helps Andhra to big winIndia Test wicketkeeper and Andhra skipper KS Bharat scored an unbeaten 100 off 84 balls along with opener Abhishek Reddy&rsquo;s 136 off 133 balls helped them to a 261-run win over Arunachal Pradesh in Bengaluru.Bharat was the best performer for Andhra in the ongoing tournament with scores of 33 not out against Goa and 51 against Tamil Nadu. Hanuma Vihari did not bat in the innings. Arunachal were bundled out for 106 while chasing 368 after B. Ayyappa claimed 3-15 while Harishankar Reddy, Shoaib Khan, S Ashish contributed with two wickets each.Brief Scores: Andhra 367/3 (50 overs) beat Arunachal Pradesh 106 all out (38 overs) by 261 runs.Patidar falters in MP&rsquo;s win over OdishaRajat Patidar managed a single run off five balls against Odisha as Shubham Sharma&rsquo;s 69 off 75 balls and opener Abhishek Bhandari&rsquo;s 52 off 60 balls took Ranji champions Madhya Pradesh to a six-wicket win in Mumbai.Batting first, Odisha were all out for 172 pacer Kuldeep Sen starred with 4-28. Avesh Khan managed 1-25 while Saransh Jain claimed 2-38.Brief Scores: Madhya Pradesh 175/4 (31.5 overs) beat Odisha 172 all out (41.1 overs) by 6 wickets.Other ResultsRailways 399/4 (50 overs) beat Mizoram 145/7 (50 overs) by 254 runs.Puducherry 303/5 (48 overs) beat Railways 302/6 (50 overs) by 5 wickets.Assam 221/9 (50 overs) beat Meghalaya 57 all out (20.4 overs) by 164 runs.Vidarbha 101/3 (17.2 overs) beat Sikkim 97/10 (26.5 overs) by 7 wickets.Uttar Pradesh 197/4 (47 overs) beat Gujarat 195/9 (50 overs) by 6 wickets.Jammu and Kashmir 295/9 (50 overs) beat Nagaland 196 all out (44.3 overs) by 99 runs. Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Right-arm pacer Ramandeep Singh claimed a hat-trick against Baroda which set up the Punjab's nine-wicket win

Ramandeep Singh

Wriddhiman Saha

Rohan Kunnummal

Mayank Agarwal

Deepak Chahar

Punjab

Hyderabad

Delhi

Rajasthan

Himachal Pradesh

Vijay Hazare Trophy: Punjab's Ramandeep claims hat-trick on day of hundreds

In 2016, Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) was just another state-run league in the eyes of people. Six years later, it has become the ultimate podium for talents, a platform for the already existing superstars from the state and a stepping stone for the talents to reach bigger platforms.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/the-whirlwind-success-of-the-tamil-nadu-premier-league-behind-the-scenes-1631338755482" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Also read: The whirlwind success of the Tamil Nadu Premier League: Behind the Scenes</a>As TNPL&rsquo;s CEO Prasanna Kannan told Cricket.com exclusively in 2021, the three things that was of apex importance for the tournament were: talent growth, infrastructure and fresh crowd. 2022 saw all of it, including the debut of a venue, the Salem Cricket Foundation Stadium (SCF), proving that the league is growing leaps and bounds.On the talent level, yet again there was a show from the youngsters. Some pretty unknown before the competition, some known but not yet proved their worth and some wanting to prove their worth after not-so-good IPL. What stood out?An element of mystery continuesTNPL was home to Varun Chakravarthy, in fact, it was the tournament that really led to the mystery spinner becoming an overnight sensation amidst the Indian cricket enthusiasts. While Varun still continues to ply his trade for the Madurai Panthers, there was a new youngster in the town who took the eyeballs &ndash; Balu Surya, of Lyca Kovai Kings.&nbsp;Surya has earnt himself a reputation on the circuit, with his ability to throw out the carrom ball with such disguise. The 25-year-old came into the season after a stint with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as a net-bowler. While he lost his way towards the end, in the first seven games, the off-spinner had picked up ten wickets, conceding at less than run-a-ball.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SPNrqP_PQRk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>While he ended the tournament with an economy rate of 6.03, it still doesn&rsquo;t take away the mystery he weaved around the batters. Some obliged the trap while the others played cautiously around it. In fact, in an interview with The New Indian Express, a well-known coach, TS Mukund had already given his seal of approval to the mystery bowler.&nbsp;&ldquo;He saw my variations and he was the first one to say, &lsquo;you are an IPL product&rsquo;. I&rsquo;ve always believed I could do big things, but until then I never had someone to groom my skill sets. And that is when I myself believed I could play top-level cricket,&rdquo; Surya told The New Indian Express.&nbsp;With Surya, TNPL continues to be home to the element of mystery.&nbsp;Sanjay Yadav and an unforgettable season&nbsp;Earlier last month, in an article, we mentioned the exploits of a 27-year-old all-rounder Sanjay Yadav. While his journey itself is a rather curious one, his cricketing form isn&rsquo;t. Having been hailed as one of the fiercest hitters of the ball, Sanjay showed first-hand demonstration of his batting abilities this year in the TNPL. While he has always been aggressive, the way he combined aggression with consistency deserved applause.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cricket.com/news/consistent-yet-fearless-sanjay-yadav-stands-tall-in-tnpl-1658213692459" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Also read: Consistent yet fearless, Sanjay Yadav stands tall in TNPL</a>In nine games this season, the all-rounder slammed 452 runs, at an astonishing average of 90.40 and a frightening strike-rate of 186.77. While he only picked up six wickets with the ball, it is an area that he would definitely want to improve before heading into the next IPL season.&nbsp;The talent pool widens&ldquo;It (TNPL) is a feeder tournament to Tamil Nadu as well as the IPL. Ultimately, all the other associations are producing cricketers, it is a feeder tournament to IPL as well as international matches. A lot of cricketers will definitely get a chance to perform in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), you cannot ignore players who have performed,&rdquo; Prasanna told Cricket.com in 2021.Like any year, this year too the talent pool has widened. Apart from the obvious names, there were plenty of names that had sprung up on headlines. Surya was one of them, there was Sunny Sandhu, J Suresh Kumar, Karthick Manikandan, G Ajitesh, Vishal Vaidya, Uthirasamy Sasidev. Some others like R Vivek and Sonu Yadav continued to put up impressive displays.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9btIYbYalMI" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Suresh Kumar was almost like a carbon-copy of Suryakumar Yadav,</a> with his impressive stroke-making ability, scoring 398 runs, at an average of 49.75. His three fifties are a testament of his talent. However, if there were three names that stood out: Aijtesh, Sandhu and Manikandan.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0bbXXGfLy-k" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owtDUEaUuiA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ajitesh was a notable finisher, with a strike-rate of 243 for the Nellai Royal Kings, with 129 runs</a>. Sandhu was likewise for Madurai, with a strike-rate of 146, combining with his eight wickets with the ball. The right-handed all-rounder was reminiscent of Hardik Pandya, with his ability to bowl with the new ball and extract the steep bounce. Manikandan in just two games, picked up six wickets, averaging just 10, showing the value of leg-spin in white-ball cricket.&nbsp;All-rounders? All-rounders!You definitely would have heard of Shahrukh Khan and Sai Kishore. Yeah, they have played the IPL, they have even got a chance to be part of the Indian squad across formats. But there is a catch, Shahrukh as known for his power-hitting and Sai was knowing for his bowling, neither were really known at the highest-level for their all-round prowess.&nbsp;<div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 841px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1553326226248695809&lang=en&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fconsole.incdcdev.com%2Farticles%2Fedit%2Ftnpl-gets-bigger-and-better-as-the-year-goes-by-1659347330891&sessionId=2d63505acc5f69130550be48de7cdaecb73c7d58&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6da0b7085cc99%3A1658260301864&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1553326226248695809"></iframe></div>Shahrukh, who skippered the Lycai Kovai Kings, starred both with the bat and the ball. While with the bat, his best performance came in the in the Qualifier 2, where he scored 58 off just 24 balls against the in-form Nellai Royal Kings. In the tournament, the right-hander scored 187 runs, at a strike-rate of 164.03. With the ball, the lanky off-spinner was more than handy, with 11 wickets, averaging just 16.63.On the other hand, Sai continued to up his game, with 11 wickets in just six games, including a best of 4/2. ASTONISHING! His average is the best in this year&rsquo;s competition (with minimum of 20 overs), at 16.66. Whilst that part of the left-arm spinner was known, his batting prowess was more than on display this year.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1659346788768-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In five innings, the left-hander scored 111 runs, including a best of 48, that came in the crucial clash against Lyca Kovai Kings. He then followed up that display with a 43 in the Qualifier 1 on a tricky surface in Salem. In all, he showed his ability as a true all-rounder.(Image Courtesy: TNPL)Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

What started in small scale in 2016 has now become a full-blown monster

Sai Kishore

Ajitesh G

Surya B

Sanjay Yadav

J Suresh Kumar

Shahrukh Khan

Siechem Madurai Panthers

Chepauk Super Gillies

Nellai Royal Kings

TNPL gets bigger and better as the year goes by

Gill&rsquo;s dilemma puts GT at a disadvantageThe approach with which Shubman Gill batted in the first three games of the season finally made many people eat their words for criticizing Gujarat Titans&rsquo; move to sign him in the pre-season trade. It was a decision, that seemed more like a long-term leadership option than driven by cricketing sense, but it was what it was. And Gill, with a couple of 90s, made sure he was definitely not just an &ldquo;accumulator&rdquo; but a serious T20 star in his own right.&nbsp;However, the slight blip that Gill encountered after the first four games has now turned into a behemoth of sorts with the Fazilka batter scoring just 89 runs off 86 balls in the next seven assignments. At the start of the season, he was aggressive against pacers and more aggressive against the spinners but in the next 6 games, his SR against the pacers and spinners has dropped drastically. His struggles against the moving ball have become more visible. Primarily a backfoot player, Gil&rsquo;s front-foot game has been exposed on lifeless decks that have undergone many shades of transformation in the last one and half months of IPL.&nbsp;He needed a big score to break the drought and even started well last night, only to be dismissed while trying to go for a non-existent single. It was the sign of a player, massively underconfident at the moment and desperate to make amends. If that was the approach that could help him get there, you may ask.&nbsp;The recurring pattern of Gill has also become some sort of dilemma for Gujarat Titans, who despite their brilliant run of form in the lead-up to the Tuesday encounter, can&rsquo;t really claim to have a decent effort from their top-order. It was once again evident on a night when none of the batters between No.5 and No.7 clicked, Gujarat&rsquo;s innings fell like a pack of cards. Unless Gill starts to take more ownership of the team&rsquo;s batting, you know where the story is heading.&nbsp;The Sudharsan bridge to Gujarat&rsquo;s two polar opposite unitsEven though they sit at the top of the table, Gujarat Titans are not really the most convincing side of the tournament. Most of their wins are bailed out magics, and in three games, they didn&rsquo;t have any business winning but eventually did. Just by being more than the sum of their parts, Gujarat are threatening to take down the whole thing this year.&nbsp;At the center of their success have been their finishers - David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, and Rashid Khan. It is in some ways the coming together of a dream because never in your wildest dreams could anyone have hoped Miller to have the kind of season he is having. Such has been their impact that it made a Twitter user comment that Gujarat&rsquo;s finishers start at No.3 and it couldn&rsquo;t have been put out in an apt manner.However, last night&rsquo;s innings by B Sai Sudharshan brought a wholesome change to the side&rsquo;s approach. In an innings where only two other batters could cross the 10-run mark, Sudharshan&rsquo;s batting was the biggest differentiator in the side reaching a respectable total. But more than the innings, it spoke more about how he can be the bridge the side would want to have in order to lower their dependence on the lower middle order.<img src="https://images-cricketcom.imgix.net/1651635548944-articleimg" style="width: 700px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">In a knock of 65 runs off 50 balls, Sudharshan kept his composure against a firing Kagiso Rabada, who picked consecutive wickets of Rahul Tewatia and Rashid Khan in the 17th over. Just after the dismissal of David Miller, the 20-year-old knew something had to give in. A classical player, who could play long, he immediately took on Rishi Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, and Rahul Chahar to showcase his extraordinary understanding of the game situation. Surely there is a whole lot more to learn, but he went on to prove how big a blunder it was to drop him for Vijay Shankar in the early part of the season.Rabada is shaping up nicely17 wickets in 9 games, Kagiso Rabada is surely back at his best this season. With two consecutive four-wicket hauls in the last two games, not only has the South African speedster proven his worth but also ensured that Punjab can somehow make up for the muddled batting approach that has cost them big-time this season.Rabada has taken a wicket in almost even 11 balls at an economy of 8.6. This season, Rabada has been impactful in all three phases as he has picked 3+ wickets in all three phases. While he has somehow not been able to get a stronghold against left-handed batters, his average of 12.6 at a strike rate of 9.9 against the right-handed batters helped Mayank Agarwal strategically use Arshdeep Singh in the death overs, adding more versatility to the bowling unit.For the kind of season that Rabada had last year with the Delhi Capitals, it was only prudent that a makeover was necessary and nothing other than a season of wickets could have helped him achieve that. And that he married consistency to his single-handed performances further ensured that Punjab Kings can dare to dream even though the gap between the top four and the chasing pack has been widened by a fair margin.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Gujarat Titans' five-game unbeaten run came to an end on Tuesday while bringing home some questions in the batting department

Shubman Gill

Kagiso Rabada

Punjab Kings

A reality check for Gujarat Titans

Ramesh Kumar &ndash; Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 20 lakh)It is probably the biggest story from the 2022 IPL Mega Auction, it is a story that will forever have its place in the history. The 23-year-old spinning all-rounder, Ramesh Kumar aka Narine Jalalabadiya was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders for just Rs 20 lakh.&nbsp;Despite not having played any representative cricket, Ramesh made it into the KKR setup, purely on the back of his tennis-ball skills. Once it caught the attention of Gurkeerat Singh Mann, it was only a matter of time before KKR&rsquo;s Abhishek Nayar got the word. His rise to prominence was his ten-ball half-century, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgxMoKJuNdY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">which is here on YouTube.</a>Prashant Solanki &ndash; Chennai Super Kings (Rs 1.2 crore)When CSK got into a tussle with the Rajasthan Royals over the 21-year-old Prashant Solanki, there was a bit of chaos on the social media. The Chennai fans were surprised that the franchise was in a bidding war over a player that most were unaware of. For CSK, the Mumbaikar was not just aware but a very well-known commodity.&nbsp;<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Prashant solanki bowling vs Devdutt padikkal in Vijay Hazare Trophy 😂💛🦁 Welcome to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a> champ 🦁🔥<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPLMegaAuction2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPLMegaAuction2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/PIzDdKFxqA">pic.twitter.com/PIzDdKFxqA</a>&mdash; MaayoN ᶜˢᵏ😎🎩💫 (@itz_satheesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/itz_satheesh/status/1492829599050321921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2022</a></blockquote>The leg-spinner was involved with MS Dhoni&rsquo;s side as a net-bowler, over the last two seasons, being a menace in the training camp for the batters. Solanki has played just the one T20 but his ability was well televised during the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he struck 21 times. To add to that, the leg-spinner has shown enough control over variations, pace and lines to impress the four-time IPL champions.&nbsp;Ashok Sharma &ndash; Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 55 lakh)KKR&rsquo;s eye for local talents is perhaps a story in itself. But when they got the 19-year-old Ashok Sharma, it was after an intense bidding war with the Rajasthan Royals. Now what is the story here? Having impressed the Royals with his raw pace in the Red Bull trials, the Rajasthan pacer was picked by the Knights, for Rs 55 lakh.&nbsp;With Dishant Yagnik&rsquo;s guidance and help, the pacer made it to the trials of both KKR and RR, the two franchises that eventually fought for him. Suffering a load of personal worries, the pacer&rsquo;s journey has landed him an IPL stint. What made the Knights pick him? <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9jPcSsdyTA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">His raw pace, ability to extract bounce</a> and hurry the batter, something that the Knights have looked at.&nbsp;Fazalhaq Farooqi &ndash; Sunrisers Hyderabad (Rs 50 lakh)Having made his international debut in 2021, Fazalhaq Farooqi is relatively a hidden tale. The Afghan left-arm pacer, who was previously part of the CSK setup, as a net-bowler, caught the attention of Sunrisers Hyderabad.&nbsp;<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sAAo9E3Kgg0" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>With the genuine ability to hit the 140+ kmph mark, the left-arm was creating chaos in the CSK camp, against the batters. With Dale Steyn being Sunrisers&rsquo; bowling coach, it will only be a matter of time before the left-arm pacer is paired alongside the likes of Umran Malik in the playing XI.&nbsp;Abhijeet Tomar &ndash; Kolkata Knight Riders (Rs 40 lakh)Abhijeet Tomar has only played five T20s in his entire cricketing career but there was something that was enough to convince the Knight Riders to pick him at the Auction. While he might not have the most convincing of techniques, the right-hander&rsquo;s unique ability of smacking the ball without much efforts made KKR pick him.&nbsp;His stint with Bikaner Desert Challengers might have made him stand-out amidst the others for the Knight Riders, who in this Auction has made a living out of such selection.&nbsp;Subhranshu Senapati &ndash; Chennai Super Kings (Rs 20 lakh)In the most unlikely of fashions, CSK have picked a whole group of youngsters in their extended 25-man squad. However, unlike other youngsters, Subhranshu Senapati is built different, he is calm, composed and already leads his side in <a href="https://twitter.com/KrishnaKRM/status/1468559021686726661" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">white-ball formats</a>. Having impressed the CSK management at the trial, it was only time before the franchise made it official.&nbsp;A key part of the CSK setup has been how the squad is built on the principles of leadership and process. Senapati is a perfect fit in the setup, learning his trade from Biplab Samantray. His knocks against Tamil Nadu is just cherry on top of his abilities as a cricketer.&nbsp;B Sai Sudharshan &ndash; Gujarat Titans (Rs 20 lakh)<a href="https://www.hotstar.com/in/sports/cricket/tamil-nadu-premier-league/lyca-kovai-kings-vs-salem-spartans-m703355/match-clips/sudharsans-redhot-87-on-tnpl-debut/1260065367" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sai Sudharshan announced his arrival in the 2021 edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League</a>. Ever since the start of TNPL, it has been a stage for dreams and the left-hander has made the fullest use of the opportunity. While he might have been picked by Gujarat Titans, in 2018, it was the Junior Super King stage, which provided him the vision.&nbsp;His rise to fame &ndash; with the Chepauk Super Gillies &ndash; televised nationally made his acclaims popular. While being nicknamed as the next &ldquo;Chinna Thala&rdquo;, the left-hander has indeed made the wave, living his dream playing the IPL just after a season of TNPL&rsquo;s success.&nbsp;Ashwin Hebbar &ndash; Delhi Capitals (Rs 20 lakh)If you have been watching domestic cricket for some time, Ashwin Hebbar would be a very familiar name. But for the uninitiated, he is Andhra Pradesh&rsquo;s opener, who has in the last two years created a ripple effect in the white-ball formats.&nbsp;Since 2020, the right-handed opener has scored 421 runs, averaging 52.63, at a strike-rate of 121.3. It was only time before an IPL franchise noticed the efforts of the Andhra batter. With Delhi Capitals building themselves as an aggressive side, Hebbar&rsquo;s inclusion is only fitting.&nbsp;Mukesh Choudhary &ndash; Chennai Super Kings (Rs 20 lakh)Mukesh Chouhary&rsquo;s last three figures in white-ball cricket: 2/79, 2/68 and 0/57 but despite the recent failure, CSK were quick in getting their bid. And that could only be attributed to the skillset of the 25-year-old left-arm pacer, who also possesses the long blade power to smack a few sixes.&nbsp;The franchise, which is run by seasoned cricket administrators, takes their scouting on the club-level and that is perhaps where they found the left-arm pacer&rsquo;s skillset incredibly useful. With CSK believing in having plenty of like-for-like players, Mukesh fits in the bill.&nbsp;Tilak Varma &ndash; Mumbai Indians (Rs 1.7 crore)When Mumbai Indians and CSK were going head-to-head for Tilak Varma, it was obvious that there was a talent involved. However, the magnitude of the talent might not still not be realized by the fans. The 19-year-old is a generational talent with a real ability to score runs at a steady pace in a rapidly changing format.&nbsp;<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OI0U66foews" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>Integral to Mumbai&rsquo;s IPL success has been their scouting and similarly, they identified the left-hander as a key piece of the future puzzle. Varma might even start the IPL at No.4, such is his talent and his ability to hit the ball a long way. In the 2021-22 SMAT, his strike-rate of 147.26 stood out in the middle-over phase.&nbsp;Yash Dayal &ndash; Gujarat Titans (Rs 3.2 crore)<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGldzY0XIR8&feature=emb_title" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&ldquo;140+ kmph, ability to swing both ways&rdquo; defines Yash Dayal</a>. The Uttar Pradesh pacer&rsquo;s ability is really unheralded in domestic cricket and when the call came flying, he was busy sleeping. Since making his debut in 2018, the left-arm pacer has shaken Indian cricket, with lively performances even on the most lifeless of wickets.&nbsp;To add to that, the Uttar Pradesh pacer was earlier part of the Indian extended setup for the home ODI series against West Indies. And now with the 3.2 crore deal with the Gujarat Titans, it won&rsquo;t be too long before the pacer could turn a new page in his cricketing career.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

From rags to riches, from grassroot level to the top-level, the Indian Premier League never stops giving back to the community

Prashant Solanki

Ashok Sharma

Fazalhaq Farooqi

Abhijeet Tomar

Subhranshu Senapati

Ashwin Hebbar

Mukesh Choudhary

Tilak Varma

Yash Dayal

Ramesh Kumar

Kolkata Knight Riders

Chennai Super Kings

Mumbai Indians

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Delhi Capitals

From Grassroot to the Theatre of Dreams ft. Uncapped talents

The semi-finals of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy were quite contrasting with a one-sided match in the morning to a thrilling contest in the afternoon game.If the first encounter was a display of Tamil Nadu&#39;s domination in the tournament, then the second game showed the valour of Karnataka in a high-pressure game. The winners of the last two editions will now be playing the final of this season.We take you through a summary of the events that transpired in the semi-finals today.Tamil Nadu trounce Hyderabad in a one-sided contestBrief scores: Tamil Nadu 92/2 (14.2) (Vijay Shankar 43*, Rakshann Readdi 2/23) defeat Hyderabad 90/10 (18.3) (Tanay Thyagarajan 25, Saravana Kumar 5/21) by 8 wicketsTamil Nadu cruised their way through the SMAT finals after registering a dominant win in the semifinals against Hyderabad.Winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Saravana Kumar struck in his very first over to dismiss the opposition captain Tanmay Agarwal for 1. The right-arm medium pacer then picked a couple of more wickets in his next over. Moreover, both the overs were maidens as Saravana&#39;s figures after the first two overs read 2-2-0-3.Bavanaka Sandeep decided to ploy an attacking tactic but couldn&#39;t sustain for long as he holed out against Murugan Ashwin. TNPL product Saravana came back to pick two more wickets and finish with a match-winning fifer.&nbsp;Hyderabad were reduced to 44/7 before Tanay Thyagarajan&#39;s 25 got them to 90 all out. Ashwin and M Mohammed picked a couple wickets each while Sai Kishore got a single breakthrough.As for Tamil Nadu, they cruised to victory but not without suffering an early scare. Rakshann Readdi struck twice in his second over to send back both openers.&nbsp;However, skipper Vijay Shankar and Sai Sudharsan ensured there were no further casualties with an unbeaten 76-run partnership. The captain finished off in style with a maximum to take Tamil Nadu to their third consecutive final in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.Karnataka overcome a late scare to go past VidarbhaBrief scores: Karnataka 176/7 (20) (Rohan Kadam 87, Darshan Nalkande 4/28) defeat Vidarbha 172/6 (20) (Atharva Taide 32, KC Cariappa 2/27) by 4 runsPut to bat first, Karnataka openers Rohan Kadam and Manish Pandey were off to a dream start. A dropped catch of the former in the first over cost Vidarbha dearly. Both batters put up a 132-run partnership from 91 deliveries for the first wicket with Rohan scoring 87 (56) and Manish putting up a solid 54 (42). Lalit Yadav ended up getting both the openers. Things seemed to be going in Karnataka&#39;s favour till the 18th over where they were comfortably placed at 167/2.Yash Thakur ended up getting the better of Karun Nair and kept it down to seven runs and a wicket in the penultimate over. However, the best was yet to come for Vidarbha as Darshan Nalkande again rose to the occasion with four consecutive wickets.&nbsp;The likes of Aniruddha Joshi, Sharath BR, J Suchith and Abhinav Manohar were all back to the dugout after making guest appearances. Karnataka scored just one run and lost four wickets in the final over to finish at 176/7 in their 20 overs.&nbsp;On the other hand, Atharva Taide opened his account with two boundaries and a six as Vidarbha posted 56/1 in the powerplay overs. Following his dismissal, the likes of Shubham Dubey, Akshay Wadkar and Jitesh Sharma tried to carry forward the run-chase but they couldn&#39;t extend their stay at the crease. The equation came down to 46 runs from the last four overs with Apoorv Wankhede and Akshay Karnewar at the crease.&nbsp;KC Cariappa bowled a fantastic 17th over conceding just four runs from it. However, both batsmen began their hitting spree. With the help of three maximums and a boundary, Vidarbha brought it to 14 runs required from the final over.&nbsp;Right-arm pacer Vidyadhar Patil kept his calm while defending the same and started off with the wicket of Karnewar. His brilliant change of pace kept the batsmen confused as they failed to get the boundaries. Karnataka ended up winning a humdinger of a contest by four runs.&nbsp;Karnataka will now face Tamil Nadu in the final of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season. While Tamil Nadu are the defending champions, Karnataka were the title-holders in the 2018-19 as well as the 2019-20 season. The SMAT final will take place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on 22nd November 2021 from 12 PM IST.Powered by <a href="https://www.froala.com/wysiwyg-editor?pb=1" title="Froala Editor">Froala Editor</a>

Tamil Nadu went past Hyderabad before Karnataka defeated Vidarbha to set a derby date in the final

sai sudharsan