On Monday, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association ( TNCA) appointed R Sai Kishore as captain of its men’s team for the Ranji Trophy opener against Rajasthan, scheduled to begin on October 11. Even though Narayan Jagadeesan is part of the setup, the association has chosen 18-year -old Andre Siddarth to serve as Kishore’s deputy. As expected, Saravana Kumar, Sonu Yadav, Pranav Ragavendra, Deepesh D, and Govinth G make up the pace unit.
Siddarth’s promotion follows two standout Ranji Trophy campaigns, particularly his debut season in 2024-25, where he played a crucial role in Tamil Nadu’s run to the knockout stage. In that campaign, he amassed 612 runs in 12 innings, averaging 68. His performances drew the attention of the Indian Premier League, making him one of the youngest players selected in the 2025 IPL auction and securing him a contract with Chennai Super Kings.
However, Sachin, who was the top player in the TNCA First Division, has no role here, as Indrajith, Athish SR, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Vimal Khumar, and Nidish Rajagopal are expected to lead the batting alongside Siddarth. For the opening clash, Hemchudeshan, Sai Kishore, and Ajith Ram are the three spinners. Tamil Nadu is placed in Group D with Railways, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, and Mumbai.
The appointment signals Tamil Nadu’s trust in Siddarth’s maturity and leadership, even though he is young. At 18, he was the second-youngest player selected in the IPL 2025 mega auction, following only Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Receiving this acknowledgement so early in his career highlights the influence he has already had within domestic cricket.
Ranji Trophy Full Squad vs Rajasthan:
Sai Kishore ( captain), Andre Siddarth C ( vice-captain), Ajitesh G, Indrajith B, Jagadeesan N, Nidish S Rajagopal, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Vimal Khumar R, Athish SR, Deepesh D, Ajith Ram S, Hemchudeshan, Pranav Ragavendra, Saravana Kumar P, Sonu Yadav
