Ramaswamy Prasanna set for coaching role for the upcoming TNPL

Tamil Nadu middle-order batsman Ramaswamy Prasanna is likely to take up a coaching role for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), scheduled to be held in the last week of August. Reportedly, the 34-year-old southpaw will be the assistant coach of the Coimbatore franchise along with former TN batsman Hemanth Kumar, who will be chief coach of the team.”

Both of them have been finalised and will sign the contract within this week,” a source close to the development told TOI on Thursday. Prasanna, who is still one of batting mainstays in the Tamil Nadu team, did not feature in the T20s in the last six years.

Prasanna, who has played 59 first-class and 16 list A matches so far, last played against Maharashtra in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2010. Tamil Nadu has opted to neglect him to the shortest format but he continues to play in the Ranji Trophy and local TNCA league.

“Prasanna has not been playing T20s for years and he did not want to turn up for a team straightaway. It would have been a difficult and risky move, so he decided to coach a team. Since this league will only feature local players, it will be a great advantage for a current state player like Prasanna to contribute as he is aware of players’ strengths and weaknesses. We think he will emerge as a good hand when it comes to finalising the squad and planning strategy,” the source added.

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“Hemanth has played the game for a long time and has good knowledge of local cricket. As a state selector, he has been interacting with the players directly and has also been involved in the youth development programme in the state. “Moreover, Hemanth and Prasanna are good friends and we all hope their combination helps us give get great results in the TNPL,” the source added.