Chennai: The fifth season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League T20 tournament will begin on July 19 as the state government has given the event its clearance.All the matches in the eight-team league, including the final, will be played at the M A Chidambaram Stadium here, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) secretary R S Ramasaamy said.
”The Tamil Nadu government formally approved holding the TNPL 2021 tournament on July 1 subject to no spectators and strict Covid protocols. After discussions with all the stakeholders, it was decided to start the 2021 edition of TNPL from July 19 to August 15,” Ramasaamy was quoted as saying in a release on Wednesday.
The teams are currently in quarantine at a city hotel and will begin practice on July 9, the TNCA secretary said.
”The teams are starting their practice on July 9 at Chepauk after extensive testing, quarantine and following strict bubble rules. The BCCI Anti-corruption team will be in place for the tournament for education and monitoring,” Ramasaamy added.
Some of Tamil Nadu’s leading players — R Ashwin, M S Washington Sundar, R Sai Kishore, Varun Chakravarthy and Sandeep Warrier — would not be available for the tournament as they are busy with national commitments. Experienced stumper-batsman Dinesh Karthik is away in the UK on commentary duties and is also likely to miss the event.
India all-rounder Vijay Shankar is among the notable names who will be seen in action.
The 2020 edition of the TNPL was not held owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown.
The T20 league features eight teams — defending champions Chepauk Super Gillies, Dindigul Dragons, LYCA Kovai Kings, Salem Spartans, iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, Ruby Trichy Warriors, Nellai Royal Kings and Siechem Madurai Panthers.
All 32 matches, including the final, will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium here. There will be seven double headers in the league phase, which will be held without a break.
The matches will be broadcast by Star India on its various channels including Star Sports Tamil.