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Most debuts are jittery affairs. Not for A. Esakkimuthu.
The 23-year-old pacer, playing his first Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) match for IDream Tiruppur Tamizhans, tore through Dindigul Dragons with raw pace and relentless intent. His four for 26 sealed a dominant nine-wicket win and put him on top of the Purple Cap chart.
Captain R. Sai Kishore had marked him out as one to watch — despite admitting he hadn’t seen much of him in the nets. Given a chance in the team’s second game, Esakkimuthu grabbed it with both hands, clocking speeds north of 135 kmph and knocking over seasoned batters.
But the start was rocky. Shivam Singh drove his second delivery through the covers. A wild bouncer followed. Then another short ball, this time pulled for six. Sixteen runs leaked in the first over.
“When I started to bowl, I didn’t have much idea of what to do. I was playing in front of such a large crowd and under lights for the first time,” Esakkimuthu told Sportstar.
“After I was hit in the first over, I was not sure if I would get another over. It was Sai Kishore anna who gave me the confidence to bowl the next. I have never been part of a team that has been so supportive,” he added.
In his second spell, the nerves faded. The rhythm returned. He beat B. Indrajith and Vimal Khumar for pace and changed the game.
“He looks very pure and exciting,” Sai Kishore said. “He is fearless in whatever he does. Yesterday, he told me he hadn’t bowled here before, so he will bowl whatever I want from him. He has pace and is nippy, and can hit the stumps regularly. More than anything, it is his lionheart mentality that stands out.”
A Late Start
Esakkimuthu grew up in a village near Tirunelveli, the youngest of three brothers in a farming household. His family knew little about cricket. “They don’t know what the sport is, but they must be watching the game because I’m playing,” he said with a smile.
He didn’t touch a leather ball until college, when a mentor introduced him to Eden Sports Academy in Trichy. Before that, it was all casual cricket with a ‘stumper’ ball.
Captain R. Sai Kishore had marked him out as one to watch — despite admitting he hadn’t seen much of him in the nets. Given a chance in the team’s second game, Esakkimuthu grabbed it with both hands, clocking speeds north of 135 kmph and knocking over seasoned batters.
| Photo Credit:
PERIASAMY M
Captain R. Sai Kishore had marked him out as one to watch — despite admitting he hadn’t seen much of him in the nets. Given a chance in the team’s second game, Esakkimuthu grabbed it with both hands, clocking speeds north of 135 kmph and knocking over seasoned batters.
| Photo Credit:
PERIASAMY M
There was no age-group pathway. No academy grind. In fact, 2024 was his first year representing Tirunelveli district. At the SS Rajan T20 Trophy, he picked up 14 wickets in five games — a breakthrough performance that turned heads.
Finding His Footing
Last year, he was the only fast bowler selected from the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) trials in Trichy.
“I was selected to attend a camp in Chennai, and after I was shortlisted there, I participated in a 20-day camp in Tiruppur under S. Mahesh,” Esakkimuthu said.
“In the beginning, I didn’t know what line to bowl. The training there was great. There were many raw bowlers like me. They explained the loads that a fast bowler takes and how one should recover after a game,” he added.
From there, the rise was steady. He took 23 wickets in 11 matches for Perungalathur Cricket Club in TNCA’s third division. Next season, he will bowl for Nelson Sports Club in the top tier.
Now, in his very first TNPL outing, he’s logged the third-best debut figures in the tournament’s nine-year history.
Esakkimuthu keeps it simple: “I just know how to run in and bowl. I used to love it when I beat the batter for pace. I am just beginning to learn what I should be doing with the ball.”
There’s a long way to go. But for someone who missed the early bus, Esakkimuthu is making up ground fast.
