Venkataramana appointed Tamil Nadu head coach

Venkataramana will occupy the seat vacated by D Vasu, who led Tamil Nadu to three white-ball finals and a Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 title during his two-year tenure. “Initially, I was asked to be the director of the TNCA Academy. I even started my work. The latest news came as a pleasant surprise,” Venkataramana told DT Next.

“Vasu did a good job as head coach and has laid a platform for me to work on. If I can take the team up from where he left off, it would be great. The management has placed its confidence in me and it is my duty to deliver,” said Venkataramana, who represented the country in a Test and ODI in the 1980s. The newly-appointed Tamil Nadu chief outlined his goals for the forthcoming campaign, laying emphasis on the coveted Ranji Trophy that is scheduled to take place between November 2021 and February 2022. Venkataramana, a vital cog in the Tamil Nadu squad which lifted the state’s only Ranji crown back in 1987-88, hopes to end the 33-year barren run.

“The goal is to do well in the Ranji Trophy. We have already made a mark in white-ball cricket. Our boys are capable enough to carry on the good work, which was done in the past few years,” added the 55-year-old.

“Members from the 1987-88 Ranji-winning team are coming back to serve Tamil Nadu cricket. Hopefully, we carry the luck to lift the trophy again.”

Venkataramana also said that the rich talent pool is a good sign for a successful future. “I am very happy with the performances of some of the youngsters in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) 2021, particularly B Sai Sudharsan, Amit Sathvik and M Manivannan. I am delighted that new players are coming out and pushing the established guys in the team to perform better,” said Venkataramana.