Super Gillies bolsters squad, eyes 5th TNPL title

CHENNAI: Abhishek Tanwar, the highest wicket-taker in the 2022 season, and Periyasamy G, who was part of the title-winning team in 2019, will team up for Chepauk Super Gillies, the most successful franchise in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), for the upcoming season.

During the auction on Wednesday, the team also retained N Jagadeesan, who recently scored the highest individual score for Tamil Nadu in List A cricket (321 against Chandigarh) while Andre Siddarth, who excelled in the U19 category and is someone capable of clearing the ropes against spinners, will add firepower in the batting order.

The club has also made Avinash as head coach. “It was crucial to bring Periyasamy back to the squad because he knows how to win games, and he was a part of us. There was a slot for a death-over specialist, and he fits well there,” Avinash Khandelwal told DT Next after the auction.

The last season wasn’t the best for Super Gillies, finishing fifth in the standings. Avinash added, “Winning and losing are part of the game. We had a good squad last year as well, but things didn’t click for us as expected. We hope to come back strong this year and prepare the same way we always did.”

Having Jagadeesan at the top makes the squad much stronger, he said. “Pradosh and Aparajith are also with us, forming a strong batting lineup,” added Avinash.

Meanwhile, the league has announced that Chepauk will host the semi-final and final of the 2024 TNPL edition.