Murali Vijay Honors Young Cricketers at TNCA 94th Annual Day in Chennai

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) celebrated its 94th annual day fete in Chennai, presenting awards and scholarships to cricketers across various age groups for their performances in the 2025-26 season. Former India cricketer Murali Vijay attended the event as the chief guest, sharing his personal journey from tennis-ball cricket to the international stage.

TNCA president TJ Srinivasaraj welcomed the gathering at the event, while secretary U Bhagwandas Rao presented the annual report. Treasurer R Rangarajan proposed the vote of thanks to conclude the ceremony.

During his speech, Vijay recalled his early interactions with his coach, WV Raman, stating that Raman taught him there were no shortcuts to reaching the top. He also spoke about looking up to former India bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji, noting that both of them came from tennis-ball cricket backgrounds with parents who were not deeply involved in the sport.

Vijay also acknowledged his former teammates, including his first Ranji captain S Badrinath, Sridharan Sriram, R Ashwin, and Dinesh Karthik. He advised the young athletes to work hard and play smartly, emphasizing that success would follow dedication. He added that the modern game has gained significant speed and urged the youngsters to adapt their play accordingly.

In the team honors, the MRC A team won the Senior Division league and was awarded the Raja of Palayampatti shield. Globe Trotters finished as the runner-up, receiving the SR Jagannathan Trophy.

Numerous individual scholarships and endowments were distributed during the ceremony. Govinth G received the T Srinivasaraghavan Memorial Scholarship, Vineeth VK secured the J Subbuswamy Memorial Scholarship as well as the SRJ Best Performer (Under-19) award, and Kishore BK was awarded the Bhatt Memorial Scholarship.

Other notable recipients included Shavin V, who won both the N Gautham Memorial Award and the SRJ Best Cricketer (City) award, and Khush Bardia P, who received the Mohan Kumaramangalam Scholarship and was named the SRJ Best Cricketer (Districts).

The association also recognized match officials for their contributions. K Manoharan was honored for officiating the maximum number of matches as an umpire during the 2025-2026 season, while Akshay Srinicasan was named the Emerging Umpire of the Year. Venkatesh Sundar received the Scorer of the Year award, and Mathan A was named the Emerging Scorer of the Year.