From Kalakudi to TNPL’s bright lights via rejections and heartbreaks — the Esakkimuthu story

When he got to play for Komaleeswarar CC, a side in Chennai’s 3rd Division, he did not have an idea on how to take wickets on the pitches here and struggled. Next year, he had to go back to Tirunelveli after not being picked for Tiruchy. “I was hungry to prove (myself). I was adamant and I could not play without that ‘veri’. Cricket became a theera pasi (insatiable hunger). That one year, I lost everything, but they (Yuvaraj, Senthil Nathan and Michael) were with me throughout,” says Esakkimuthu.

He got selected for SS Rajan Trophy in 2024-25 season and took 14 wickets in five games. Perungalathur CC offered a chance in the third Division and this time, Esakkimuthu was ready — 23 wickets came in 11 games. He was selected for a TNCA camp in Tiruppur under S. Mahesh, and went to Mumbai with the TNCA Colts team. There has been no looking back since and he was picked by Tiruppur Tamizhans in the TNPL auction earlier this year. On his TNPL debut, earlier this week, Esakkimuthu impressed with a four-fer against Dindigul Dragons. “There is something about him,” says Tiruppur skipper Sai Kishore.

“He has a lot of heart, is very fit. He has air speed, but more than anything, he has that ‘veri’. Sort of an uninhibited courage. I played for districts and I know the flavour. He has that chutzpah and confidence to do anything that is asked of him. It is hard to hit him. He is skiddy, has a sharp bouncer, yorker is reversing and has a slower one also. (He keeps hitting the 130kphs regularly). It might sound philosophical but Essaki has seen a lot in his life. I don’t think handling this kind of pressure is too big. He has seen the pressure of life, a lot of rejection, he is seeing this as an opportunity. To have come this far he is grateful and is giving his everything. That is the space he is in. He is not overawed, he wants the limelight he wants to perform. The more he plays, he will get better,” Sai Kishore adds.