To be called the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), it will begin from the fourth week of August, stretching till the second week of September. Star India will be the official telecaster, in Tamil and English.
While Karnataka has a state league, TNPL will be mounted on a larger scale, said N Srinivasan, president, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. "We conducted a bidding process for the league and are happy with the outcome," he said. "The bids were 3.3 times the minimum bid amount."
The total amount at the end of the bidding process was Rs 33 crore for eight franchisee teams, apparently the highest amount raised by a state cricket body; 17 entities participated. The winners were Take Solutions, a listed entity; Metronation Chennai Television, part of a major media group in the state; Lyca Productions; Kothari (Madras); Ruby Builders and Promoters; VB Cricket Academy and Chettinad Apparels. A majority of the bidders have already selected the districts for the venues.
Player drafts will be held at end-July and may be retained up to three years. This year would see 27 matches; the eight teams would be pooled into two groups of four each. Each team would get to play a minimum of six matches. The players will be from Tamil Nadu and TNCA will approach the Board of Control for Cricket in India on whether the latter would allow players from other states to participate.
The prize is fixed ar Rs 1 crore for the winner, Rs 60 lakh for the runner-up, Rs 40 lakh for the losing semi-finalists and Rs 25 lakh for the remaining four teams, said Srinivasan. TNCA expects, he said, to get Rs 350 crore through TNPL over the next 10 years. This state league would enable TN players to show their talent and rub shoulders with national and international players. Beside promoting cricket at the district level in a big way, said Srinivasan.
The matches will be played in Chennai, Tirunelveli and Natham (near Dindigul).
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
)