Tuti Patriots (File | PTI)
TIRUNELVELI: When Tuti Patriots clinched the inaugural Tamil Nadu Premier League title and finished as runners-up in the second season, everyone thought the presence of three India internationals was the secret of their impressive run. But the story behind their success is of non-reliance on one or two players. They performed as a team and won as a team.
When former owner Albert Muralidharan made the highest bid (Rs 5.21 crore) and secured the ownership right for the Thoothukudi team, he made two statements. One, he wanted to make a strong first impression and, with it, raise the standard of cricket in his hometown.
To make an impression, they not only picked up proven stars, but also bought players with a strong domestic background. This list included players like Kaushik Gandhi, Aswin Crist, V Athisayaraj Davidson, R Aushik Srinivas. While Kaushik has hit 633 runs overall, Aswin was joint-third on the list of wicket-takers in 2016 with 12. Athisayaraj and Aushik combined to take 18 wickets in 2017.
The fact that Abhinav Mukund and Dinesh Karthik played fewer matches in two seasons and yet this was one of the best teams is a story of how they performed collectively. Just like their name, which is a tribute to patriots and freedom fighters who came from the districts of Kattabomman, Bharathiyar, Chidambaram and Vaanjinathan, they have fought to fame with determination.
Patriots' off-spinner Malolan Rangarajan believes the pre-season camp has been of great use in making the players understand their roles. During the camp in Anantapur, the team played a couple of practice matches against New Zealand club Hutt Hawks, which featured Kiwi all-rounder Jimmy Neesham and members of their 2018 under-19 World Cup side, like Rachin Ravindra, Luke Georgeson and Felix Murray.
"I think playing practice matches makes a huge difference. This year, we played a couple in Chennai, and we also played matches against teams from New Zealand. It has helped us tremendously in understanding our roles better and to execute the plans as discussed."
Being the team with the best win percentage (77%) in TNPL, they have also shown an ability to find players who step up when it matters. New imports R Sathish and R Sai Kishore have done that in the past with Chepauk Super Gillies. Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore, who was the leading wicket-taker last season with 17 wickets, can trouble batsmen, while the experienced Sathish can be handy with both bat and ball.
Skipper Kaushik also heaped praise on them ahead of their match against Karaikudi. "Both are skilful at what they do. They are great assets to have. They know their roles and we are expecting the best from them."
Washington ruled out
After picking up an ankle injury during one of India's practice sessions in England, Washington Sundar was ruled out of the T20 series.
It is understood that because of the injury he will not take part in the TNPL this season.
The team has not named any replacement. Washington was their best player last year, with 459 runs and 15 wickets in nine matches. They will also be the without the services of Abhinav (gone to Lyca Kovai Kings) and Karthik (bought by Idream Karaikudi Kaalais).
