CHENNAI: Murali Vijay has pulled out of the fifth edition of Tamil Nadu Premier League, which starts here from July 19, due to personal reasons. The former India opener was part of the Ruby Trichy Warriors.
Vijay hasn't played competitive cricket since the previous season of the Indian Premier League which was held at UAE in 2020. Since then the 37-year-old chose not to be part of the Tamil Nadu side in the domestic season and also wasn't part of this year's IPL season.
Sources close to the player said the strict covid-19 protocols would have prompted Vijay to skip TNPL-5. "Vijay has a young family and may have been reluctant to stay in a bio-bubble for long periods of time. That could have been a reason for him staying away from the tournament," said sources in the know.
Despite Vijay giving yet another tournament a miss, TNCA is hopeful that the player will be available for the upcoming season. "He is a key member of our state side and we are sure he will be back for this season," said a TNCA official. Also to pull out of the TNPL-5 citing personal reasons was Anirudha Srikanth who is also part of the Trichy squad. Allrounder Varun Totadri and young batsman S Kesav Krishna were named as the replacements for the two.
