Palani Amarnath

A tall right-arm seamer who bowls with a round-arm action, P Amarnath was part of the Tamil Nadu Under-25s squad before his first-class debut in the 2007-08 season. Hailing from Vellore, Amarnath took to leather-ball cricket late in his teens and was among the fastest bowlers in the district. After completing his diploma in civil engineering, he worked in a construction company before participating in a talent hunt competition for fast bowlers. He moved to Chennai as a 21-year old and played in the city's first division league for two seasons. He was among several new faces in Tamil Nadu's new-look squad after many seniors shifted allegiance to the ICL. He impressed in his third first-class match, taking his first five-wicket haul, against Karnataka. He later made it to the Chennai Super Kings squad in the inaugural Indian Premier League.
Cricinfo Staff April 2008