India leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy will lead Tamil Nadu in this season’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which begins on 26 November. Narayan Jagadeesan, the state’s most experienced white-ball batter, has been named vice-captain.
It is the 33-year-old’s first taste of leadership at any recognised level. He replaces M Shahrukh Khan, with the selectors choosing to look beyond previous captains R Sai Kishore and Jagadeesan. The call comes less than a fortnight after Chakravarthy helped India close out a T20I series in Australia, taking five wickets in three outings.
“I didn’t see this coming, but it’s a responsibility I’m happy to accept,” Chakravarthy told PTI after the squad was announced. “We have a balanced side and the senior players will keep things calm.”
Head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni welcomed the move. “Varun’s tactical awareness has improved enormously in the IPL and with India,” he said. “Handing him the job felt natural.”
Tamil Nadu’s bowling stocks look healthy. Left-arm quick T Natarajan returns after a busy domestic schedule and is joined by fellow south-paw Gurjapneet Singh. The spin attack remains spin-heavy, with Sai Kishore and M Siddharth offering variety alongside their new captain.
Results in red-ball cricket have been underwhelming – two defeats and two draws leave Tamil Nadu sixth in their Ranji section – yet their white-ball record over the last five seasons (two titles, one final) keeps expectations steady rather than sky-high.
Elite Group D, on paper at least, is awkward: Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Tripura, Jharkhand and Saurashtra share the pool. Tamil Nadu open against Rajasthan in Ahmedabad, ground conditions that usually favour seam during November mornings but can flatten out by late afternoon.
Jagadeesan, who will keep wicket, believes familiarity may be the trump card. “Most of us have played together since junior cricket,” he said. “That makes decision-making quicker – whoever is skipper.”
Syed Mushtaq Ali matches are packed into a ten-day window, so squad depth will matter. Shahrukh, Andre Siddarth and Pradosh Ranjan Paul provide middle-order muscle, while all-rounder Sonu Yadav offers lower-order runs and medium pace.
Tamil Nadu squad
Varun Chakravarthy (capt), Narayan Jagadeesan (vice-capt, wk), Tushar Raheja (wk), VP Amit Sathvik, M Shahrukh Khan, Andre Siddarth, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Shivam Singh, R Sai Kishore, M Siddharth, T Natarajan, Gurjapneet Singh, A Esakkimuthu, R Sonu Yadav, R Silambarasan, S Rithik Easwaran (wk).
A brisk tournament, a new captain, and an experienced core: Tamil Nadu quietly fancy another long run, even if the road looks bumpy on paper.
