The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) is a men's Twenty20 (T20) cricket league that is annually held in the state of Tamil Nadu in India and contested by eight city-based franchise teams. The league was formed in 2016 by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). It is usually played during post summer season from June to August of every year. Shriram Group is the current title sponsor of the tournament.

As of 2023, there have been seven seasons of the tournament. The present title holder is Lyca Kovai Kings.Chepauk Super Gillies are the most successful team after winning the title four times.

History

Background

In 2016, the TNPL was launched at the time when Chennai Super Kings, the Tamil Nadu franchise playing Indian Premier League (IPL), was facing a two-year suspension from the league. The league was aimed to make up for the absence of high-profile matches in Chennai in the year and to expose talented players from districts. It was conceived by former BCCI president and then TNCA president N. Srinivasan.

Franchise rights

On 1 May 2016, TNCA invited bidders for the eight franchise rights. A total of 17 bidders participated in the bidding process and current members of TNCA were not allowed to participate. The base price set for each franchise was 1.25 crore (US$160,000) for a period of 10 years. The franchise rights was sold for 33.51 crore (US$4.2 million) and the highest bidder chose Salem for 5.21 crore (US$650,000).

Winning bidders
Owner Franchise Price
Vivo South Chennai distributor Selvakumar Salem Spartans 5.21 crore (US$650,000)
Metronation Chennai Chepauk Super Gillies 5.13 crore (US$640,000)
Lyca Productions Lyca Kovai Kings 5.01 crore (US$630,000)
Kothari (Madras) Ltd. Madurai Panthers 4.001 crore (US$500,000)
(Need to be Updated) Trichy Grand Cholas 3.69 crore (US$460,000)
Crown Forts Ltd. Nellai Royal Kings 3.48 crore (US$440,000)
Take Solutions Ltd Dindigul Dragons 3.42 crore (US$430,000)
I Dream cinemas iDream Tiruppur Tamizhans 3.3 crore (US$410,000)

Foundation

On 16 August 2016, the first edition was inaugurated by MS Dhoni in Chennai. The first edition featured international cricketers including Ravichandran Ashwin, Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik and Lakshmipathy Balaji. Former cricketers Robin Singh and Michael Bevan were among the coaches. Matthew Hayden was the brand ambassador of the league. No players representing other state associations participated in the inaugural season as they were not given permission at the time by the BCCI. Star Sports were the TV broadcasters. The first season was played from 24 August to 18 September.

Ruby Trichy Warriors is a professional cricket team based in the city of Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India. The team was founded in 2017 and competes in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), a Twenty20 cricket league in India. The team is owned by Ruby Builders and Promoters, a real estate company based in Tamil Nadu.

The team's home ground is the Indian Cement Company Ground in Tirunelveli. The team is captained by Baba Indrajith, a right-handed batsman and occasional wicket-keeper. The head coach of the team is Tinu Yohannan, a former Indian cricketer.

The team's logo features a warrior holding a cricket bat, symbolizing the team's fighting spirit and determination to win. The team's colors are red and black, which represent strength and power.

The Ruby Trichy Warriors have a strong squad of talented players, including Murali Vijay, a seasoned Indian opener, and Adithya Ganesh, a promising young all-rounder. The team has a good mix of experienced players and young talent, making them a formidable force in the TNPL.

The team has had mixed results in the TNPL so far, finishing in the top four in the 2017 and 2018 seasons but failing to qualify for the playoffs in 2019 and 2020. However, with a strong squad and a new coach, the Ruby Trichy Warriors will be looking to make a strong comeback in the upcoming season of the TNPL.