Caribbean Premier League 2018 [Preview]

The sixth edition of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is all set to begin from 8^th August till 16^th September. A total of 34 games will be played in the competition with six franchises fighting it out for the ultimate prize. Three games will be played in Lauderhill, Florida in a bid to attract new audiences to the domestic T20 Cricket League.

Barbados Tridents, Trinbago Knight Riders, Jamaica Tallawahs, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, St Lucia Stars and Guyana Amazon Warriors are teams that will participate in the tournament.

However, there will new rules added to this year’s competition with teams facing a penalty if they fail to complete their quota of overs in stipulated time. The other rule is the introduction of the toss in case a game goes into a Super-Over.

Two-time CPL champions Jamaica Tallawahs will be led by all-rounder Andre Russell for this year’s competition. Tallawahs have plenty of big names in their setup with Shahid Afridi, David Miller and Ross Taylor playing for Tallawahs in this year’s competition. Tallawahs will certainly one of the favorites to lift the crown this year as well.

St Lucia Stars had a horrible run in the last year’s tournament. They finished bottom of the table with Darren Sammy facing criticisms from all quarters. Kieron Pollard has been named as the captain of the franchise for the coming season. David Warner has been signed by the franchise for this year’s competition. The Australian opener would be keen to make an impression after ball-tampering charges saw him banned for one year.

Trinbago Knight Riders have won the competition on two occasions (in 2015 and 2017). Dwayne Bravo will lead the reigning champions for this year’s tournament. The side has got players in Shadab Khan, Colin Munro and Chris Lynn in their ranks. Shadab Khan was excellent for Trinbago in last year’s competition as he finished with 12 wickets from 8 matches.

2014 CPL Champions Barbados Tridents failed to make an impact in last year’s competition. Jason Holder will lead the side for this year’s competition. Hashim Amla, Shakib Al Hasan, Martin Guptill and Wahab Riaz are notable names in the squad. Holder will definitely aim for better results as he has made considerable improvements in his game.

Last year’s runners-up St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will be looking to go one better this time around. Chris Gayle is the captain of the franchise and would keen to help Patriots lift their maiden crown this season. The franchise has Evin Lewis, Carlos Brathwaite and Ben Cutting in their ranks for this year’s competition. Lewis and Brathwaite are reputable in the T20 format and will be keen to do well for Patriots this season. The other surprise picks in the squad are Zimbabwe’s Graeme Cremer and Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane. The spin duo could prove to be crucial for Patriots this time around.

Guyana Amazon Warriors will be led by Shoaib Malik in a bid to help them win their maiden trophy. The franchise has been the most consistent side in the competition and has always qualified for the playoffs since its inception in 2013. Sohail Tanvir, Chadwick Walton, Luke Ronchi and Rayat Emrit are notable names included in the squad.

The opening game of the competition will see reigning champions Trinbago Knight Riders take on St Lucia Stars on 8^th August at Queens Park Oval, Trinidad. The Qualifier 1 and Eliminator games will take place at Providence Stadium, Guyana on 11^th and 12^th September respectively. The Qualifier 2 game will be played at Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad on 14^th September.

The final of Caribbean Premier League 2018 will be played at Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad on 16^th September.