2020 Caribbean Premier League [Preview]
The eighth edition of Caribbean Premier League will be played in Trinidad and Tobago from 18th August till 10th September. The tournament is scheduled to take after getting green signal from the local authorities. This is going to be the first high-profile T20 League taking place since Covid-19 Pandemic brought every cricketing event to a standstill in March.
Last year, Barbados Tridents led by Jason Holder defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors to clinch their second CPL Trophy. Defending CPL Champions have signed players like Corey Anderson, Mitchell Santner and Marcus Stoinis for the coming season.
Tridents have suffered a setback as Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz will miss this year’s CPL due to visa issues. The players do not possess UK Transit Visa required to board chartered planes to the Caribbean.
The franchise have signed English duo of Alex Hales and Harry Gurney, who will surely add a lot of value to the side this season.
Last year finalists, Guyana Amazon Warriors, will be looking to end their trophy drought this season. The franchise has signed players that can help them clinch their maiden crown this season.
Pakistan all-rounder duo of Shadab Khan and Shoaib Malik will be unavailable for Guyana this season as they currently on international duties in England. Spinner Qais Ahmed will also miss this year’s CPL after failing to acquire a UK Transit Visa.
Guyana Amazon Warriors will be depending on the likes of Brandon King, Imran Tahir, Nicholas Pooran and Shimron Hetymer to deliver the goods with bat and ball.
Two-time CPL Champions Jamaica Tallawahs will be keen to turn their fortunes around this season. The side endured a horrible run last season and for the first time failed to make it to the playoffs of the competition. Skipper Rovman Powell will be hoping that the side can get off to a good start this season.
For the coming season, Tallawahs have plenty of world-class players like Glenn Phillips, Sandeep Lamichhane and Andre Russell, who can win games of cricket on their own.
St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots will be looking to go the distance and lift their maiden trophy. Led by Rayad Emrit, Patriots have plenty of firepower in the batting and bowling department. For this season, Patriots have signed players like Chris Lynn, Sohail Tanvir, Ish Sodhi and Ben Dunk to bolster their batting and bowling resources.
Wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin is another notable player signed by Patriots for the coming season.
St. Lucia Zouks will be looking to redeem themselves in this year’s competition. All-rounder and Captain Darren Sammy will be looking to lead from the front this season.
T20 superstar Chris Gayle has signed for St. Lucia Zouks for the coming season. Later, left-hander decided to pull out of the competition citing personal issues. In order to fill the void left by Gayle, franchise have signed South African duo of Rilee Rossouw and Colin Ingram to strengthen the batting department. Later this month, Zouks suffered a big blow as Rossouw and Ingram will not participate in this year’s competition.
Three-time Champions Trinbago Knight Riders will be looking to start their campaign on a winning note. All-rounder Kieron Pollard will continue to lead the side for the coming season. The franchise has signed Zimbabwe’s Sikander Raza, New Zealand wicket-keeper Tim Siefert, India’s Pravin Tambe, Australian leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed for the coming season. USA pacer Ali Khan is another notable signing made by the franchise.
All the matches will be played across two-venues in Trinidad and Tobago. Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Tarouba and Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain will host CPL games this season.
