A brand-new season with the slate rubbed clean. A fresh set of squad lists following a hotly contested auction. The ninth edition of the Tamil Nadu Premier League commenced at the SNR College Grounds in Coimbatore with the stage set for another season of unpredictable, high-octane T20 cricket.
For Dindigul Dragons batter Shivam Singh, however, much remained the same. The opening batter continued in the same vein he had left off last year, when he spurred the team to its maiden TNPL title.
In the season opener on Thursday, a replay of last year’s final, it was Shivam’s dominant innings that helped the defending champions beat Lyca Kovai Kings, starting the season on the perfect note. The 29-year-old remained unbeaten on 82 off 50 balls, striking five fours and five sixes to help his team ease past the 150-run target on a two-paced pitch.
Born in Uttar Pradesh and having played most of his early cricket in Delhi, Tamil Nadu was not the most obvious pit stop for Shivam in his career. The right-hander made the voyage south to play the second division upon the advice of Ranji Trophy veteran Paras Dogra.
Shivam Singh remained unbeaten on 82 off 50 balls, striking five fours and five sixes to help his team ease past the 150-run target on a two-paced pitch.
| Photo Credit:
PERIASAMY M/The Hindu
Shivam Singh remained unbeaten on 82 off 50 balls, striking five fours and five sixes to help his team ease past the 150-run target on a two-paced pitch.
| Photo Credit:
PERIASAMY M/The Hindu
“Whenever someone called me to play, I used to go without any question. I have travelled to many states playing cricket. Three years back, I had the opportunity to play here, and the journey started from there,” the Dragons’ batter said.
“The setup, the infrastructure, the quality of cricket that TNCA provides to its cricketers, I haven’t seen it anywhere else. I have never felt that I am an outsider here. It hurts me when someone calls me one because TN has given me everything. It is my karma bhoomi (the land of action),” he added.
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When the TNPL season is not on, Shivam plies his trade for the Nelson Sports Club in the Chennai First Division League. The 29-year-old credits the local tournament for playing a major role in improving his game.
“The [Chennai] first division is a big thing in India. Even the greatest of players who have played hundreds of Ranji Trophy matches and First Class matches come here to improve their game. It’s a fantastic feeling, the same you get when you’re playing First Class cricket,” he explained.
Shivam’s love story with the TNPL began in 2023 when he made an instant impact for the Dragons, scoring 356 runs in nine matches at an average of 44.50. But two losses in the Playoffs meant the team returned empty-handed. 364 runs came the following season, and this time there was something to show for it – the Orange Cap for Shivam and the TNPL trophy for his team.
Shivam suggests it is the team’s work ethic that has helped him gel so seamlessly into the setup.
“The Dindigul Dragons’ support staff are amazing. Their work ethic is brilliant. The boys have been practising for the last three months in preparation for this season. The ground, nets and everything else are only a call away,” the batter explained.
The opener’s stupendous performances for his TNPL franchise landed him an IPL contract in 2023 with the Punjab Kings, where he made just a solitary appearance in two years. He says the time spent there was one of his ‘greatest learning experiences’.
“I have always said that IPL is the biggest platform in the world where you get to connect with the greatest minds of the game. I was lucky enough, and it has helped me a lot to improve myself as a cricketer,” Shivam said.
“It [the IPL] has helped me become mentally stronger, and I have got that instinct in myself that if it cannot be achieved in this over, I can do it in the next over,” he added.
The 2025 TNPL edition is just one game in. The Dragons and skipper R. Ashwin will hope Shivam can take more games by the scruff of the neck and propel the team to a second successive title.
