Even before he earned a spot in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), Kanibalan had garnered quite a following for his bite-sized batting tips on Instagram.
Cricket was always the only constant, even when his life veered into survival mode. He delivered groceries for e-commerce platforms like Swiggy and Zepto after Covid-19 halted his cricketing dreams.
But the 27-year-old persevered and was picked up by Tiruppur Tamizhans at the February auctions for TNPL season 9. A self-coached cricketer who learned from YouTube, hustled through fourth-division matches, and trained kids in makeshift nets, Kanibalan built his game while building a following – over 60,000 strong – online.
His story is of missed chances, late breakthroughs, and sheer persistence. For every T. Natarajan or Varun Chakaravarthy the TNPL unearths, there are players like Kanibalan – grinding in the background, waiting for their opportunity. This season, his turn may finally have arrived.
Discreet indulgence
Born in Tirunelveli and raised in the crowded bylanes of Tiruvottriyur in North Chennai, Kanibalan’s first brushes with cricket came in the form of street matches using “stumper balls.” But his passion met resistance at home. “I used to play in Tirunelveli during the school holidays because my parents didn’t let me play much in Chennai. I had to be discreet,” he recalls.
It was during these two-month school breaks that cricket flourished for him — games played with bats and stumps hauled in from Chennai. The transition to leather-ball cricket was gradual, spurred by a growing desire for proper gear. “I used to yearn for gloves and pads, but my family couldn’t afford a kit, so I couldn’t play at a higher level. I would follow people carrying kits to the ground and just watch them play,” he says.
A turning point came through his younger brother, Vijay Joseph. “My parents usually ignored my pleas, but somehow listened to him. He convinced them to enrol me in a cricket academy,” Kanibalan says.
That conversation led to a major sacrifice from their father: “He saved up close to Rs. 6,000 — a huge sum for us — and took me to St. Bede’s Academy in Chennai [former India off-spinner R. Ashwin went to the same academy]. I joined the summer camp, but we couldn’t afford to continue the following year.” The formal coaching stint was brief, but it planted the seed.
Self-coaching his way behind the stumps
Unable to continue formal training, Kanibalan took matters into his own hands. “ YouTube became my coach. I watched tutorial videos and honed my batting on my own.” He began documenting his sessions, jotting down observations after every net. “I later realised even top academies followed this method — for me, it came from curiosity and a desire to improve.”
Kanibalan stumbled into wicketkeeping thanks to an odd twist, and managed to impress at the trials with just 10 days of practice.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Kanibalan stumbled into wicketkeeping thanks to an odd twist, and managed to impress at the trials with just 10 days of practice.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Originally a middle-order power-hitter, Kanibalan stumbled into wicketkeeping thanks to an odd twist. A teammate’s father submitted an application on his behalf for a district-level tournament, and ticked the ‘wicketkeeper’ box. “I felt paralysed. I had just 10 days to prepare,” he recalls.
In those 10 days, he threw himself into training. “I kept 400–500 balls a session, experimenting with techniques. When the trial came, I managed to do well. That’s how I became a wicketkeeper,” he says.
His first real validation came in fourth-division cricket for Chennai PNT. Facing relegation, he scored three match-saving fifties. “That’s when I realised I was good enough for professional cricket,” says the 27-year-old.
Giving back to the game
That self-learning ethic slowly evolved into a desire to mentor others. “I wanted to give today’s kids what I didn’t have — guidance,” he says. He started small, coaching in whatever space he could find, juggling it with lower-division cricket.
Eventually, he took up full-time coaching at an academy. “I was underpaid, sometimes unpaid. But I stuck around because I loved teaching,” he says. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to that path. Forced to quit temporarily, he took up a job as a delivery agent with fast-delivery companies — but the itch to return to cricket never left.
Once he had saved enough, he rented space and launched his academy. Today, it houses eight coaches and over 150 students — while giving him the flexibility to focus on his own game again.
Social media: The game changer
Instagram became another avenue of expression. “I started posting tutorials and clips of my batting, more as a record for myself.” The impact surprised him. “A police sub-inspector from Chengalpattu called me to say one of my techniques had helped him regain form in a local match. That’s when I realised what I was doing mattered beyond me.”
Now, with more than 60,000 followers, Kanibalan has built a digital classroom alongside his physical one.
Road to TNPL
Despite the dedication, the road to TNPL was anything but smooth. “Two years ago, I was the top run-scorer in the trials but missed out on selection because I didn’t fill out the form ahead of the trials owing to a lack of confidence. That cost me dearly. I wasn’t eligible for the auctions,” he explains. The following year, he did everything right — and went unsold.
This year was different. His performances for TNCA third-division side Ranji CC — where he was given the freedom to express himself — finally turned heads. “I got calls from both Nellai Royal Kings and Tiruppur Tamizhans.”
At the February auctions, the Tamizhans picked him up for Rs 50,000.
While he’s yet to make his TNPL debut, Kanibalan is soaking in the experience. “Just being around these players is a learning curve,” he says. Conversations with senior pros like captain R. Sai Kishore and “Yorker King” T. Natarajan have already left a mark.
He believes this exposure will not only sharpen his own game, but also enhance his coaching. “Once the season ends, I’ll have much more to teach my students,” he says.
Even now, he admits to grappling with self-doubt. “I’m still figuring out where I stand in cricket. But I know this — whatever I do will be related to the sport.”
For someone who taught himself how to play, how to coach, and how to persevere, that may just be enough.
