Siyyadri is a floater capable of being the surprise element in Chennai Singams’ talented squad for the second edition of the Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) starting on January 26 at the Dadoji Konddev Stadium in Thane.
Last year’s semifinalists, Singams open their campaign with a match against Falcon Risers Hyderabad on January 27 in an extended season that will run until February 15.
“I am the adaptable sort, capable of batting anywhere and according to the situation,” said the 28-year-old from Vizianagaram who has been playing tennis ball cricket professionally for a decade now and often travels around the country to ply his trade.
This will be Siyyadri’s debut season in the prestigious ISPL.
“I was very disappointed when I was overlooked by the teams in the inaugural auction, and I worked extra hard with the single-minded focus of being selected this time,” said Siyyadri, who is the youngest of three siblings and works at the family-owned wood mill.
“I was very excited when Singams selected me this time, and my family was over the moon,” added the recently-married Siyyadri who idolises renowned South Africa batter AB de Villiers.
Asked the highlight of his tennis ball cricket career, Siyyadri said, “that would be my match-winning effort in a leading prize-money tournament in Vizianagaram with the team needing 60 from 4 overs and I achieved it batting with the tail-enders,” said Siyyadri, who was acquired by Singams for INR 3 lakh.
Speaking about the ISPL, he said, “There are many big-ticket prize-money tournaments around the country, but the ISPL is a different platform, several things combined into one, and will revolutionize tennis ball cricket in the country.”
Chennai Singams Squad
Icon Player: Deepak Dogra | All-Rounder | North Zone
Zone Wise Break–Up
• South Zone: R. Thavith Kumar (All-Rounder), Siyyadri (Batter), V. Vignesh (All-Rounder)
• West Zone: Shubam Sangale (Bowler), Vedant Mayekar (All-Rounder), Ketan Mhatre – RTM (Batter), Sumeet Dhekale – RTM (Batter), Rahul Sawant (All-Rounder), Jignesh Patel (All-Rounder)
• East Zone: Jagat Sarkar (Batter), David Gogoi (Bowler)
• North Zone: Anurag Sharshar (Bowler), Farhat Ahmad (Bowler)
• Central Zone: Prashant Gharat (Batter), Mohammed Zeeshan (Bowler)
About Chennai Singams:
Chennai Singams, the Chennai-based Indian Street Premier League (ISPL) franchise, is co-owned by Rajdip Gupta, Sandip Gupta, and actor Suriya Sivakumar. The team has a roaring lion as their logo, which represents Chennai’s strength and valor, while the vibrant yellow color enhances the city’s radiance. The owners are committed to sports promotion and talent development, as evidenced by their ownership of multiple clubs and support for women’s cricket. As the ISPL prepares for its thrilling T10 tennis ball cricket tournament from January 26 to February 15, 2025, Chennai Singams promises to captivate audiences with their spirited performances on Mumbai’s streets-turned-stadiums.