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Caribbean Premier League 2021 (CPL 2021): Everything You Need To Know Quickly—Teams, Fixtures, & Predictions

by | Aug 31, 2021 | Previews and Reviews

Caribbean Premier League (CPL 2021)—The party is back in town once again!

The West Indies have just finished a marathon 14 game home T20I season against South Africa, Australia, and Pakistan.

It is now time for the domestic West Indies T20 league and for fringe players to make their cases. In the first 3 days of CPL 2021, we have had so many great moments—Dre Russ’s 14-ball 50, TKR already losing a game, Faf’s comeback from concussion, Sherfane Rutherford’s magnificent form, Tims (David & Seifert) having breakout seasons, and experienced Amir-Udana-Rampaul-Tahir topping the bowling charts so far. If you haven’t been watching, this is time to switch your TVs back on, especially with the T20 World Cup approaching soon.

Here is everything you need to know about CPL 2021.

Also Read: 42 Contenders For 23-Men West Indies T20 World Cup Squad: #17-24 Will Shock You!, Nicholas Pooran, A Story of Pain, Hope, & Inspiration: The Next Big Thing of West Indies & World Cricket

Quick Summary

  • Matches: 33 (6 teams, 10 matches each, double round robin, top 4 qualify for semi-finals)
  • Teams: Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, Saint Lucia Kings, Trinbago Knight Riders
  • Dates: August 26th- September 15th
  • Venues: Warner Park Sporting Complex, Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis

History

  1. Trinbago Knight Riders: 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 (Won)
  2. Barbados Royals: 2014, 2019 (Won)
  3. Jamaica Tallawahs: 2013, 2016 (Won)
  4. Guyana Amazon Warriors: 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019 (Runners Up)
  5. Saint Lucia Kings: 2020 (Runners Up)
  6. St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots: 2017 (Runners Up)

CPL 2021: Teams & Expected Playing XI

Barbados Tridents & Saint Lucia Zouks no more, we now have Barbados Royals (from Rajasthan Royals) & Saint Lucia Kings (from Punjab Kings).

The Indian Premier League is slowly taking over the world.

*Teams highlighted in their respective jersey colors

Trinbago Knight Riders

  • West Indies Internationals: Kieron Pollard (C), Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin (WK), Ravi Rampaul, Jayden Seales, Akeal Hosein, Khary Pierre, Anderson Phillip
  • West Indies Domestic: Leonardo Julien (WK), Tion Webster
  • Foreign Recruits: Ali Khan (USA), Colin Munro, Tim Seifert (NZ), Isuru Udana (SL), Yasir Shah (Pakistan)

Coaching Staff: Imran Jan

I am looking forward to the New Zealand duo Munro & Seifert along with the fast bowling trio – experienced Rampaul, promising Seales, & energetic Ali Khan.

Trinbago Knight Riders Expected XI:

  1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Tim Seifert, 3. Colin Munro, 4. Darren Bravo, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Sunil Narine, 7. Denesh Ramdin, 8. Ravi Rampaul/Isuru Udana, 9. Jayden Seales, 10. Ali Khan, 11. Akeal Hosein

Barbados Royals

  • West Indies Internationals: Jason Holder (C), Johnson Charles (WK), Shai Hope (WK), Kyle Mayers, Ashley Nurse, Raymon Reifer, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.
  • West Indies Domestic: Joshua Bishop, Justin Greaves, Nyeem Young
  • Foreign Recruits: Azam Khan – WK, Mohammad Amir (Pakistan), Jake Lintott (England), Smit Patel – WK (USA/ former India), Thisara Perera (Sri Lanka), Glenn Phillips – WK (New Zealand)

Coaching Staff: Trevor Penney

I am looking forward to the foreign contingent. Jake Lintott had a successful Hundred season, Glenn Phillips & Azam Khan are power hitters, while Perera & Amir have reputation and experience on their side.

Barbados Royals Expected XI:

  1. Johnson Charles, 2. Shai Hope, 3. Glenn Phillips, 4. Kyle Mayers, 5. Azam Khan, 6. Jason Holder, 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Hayden Walsh Jr, 9. Jake Lintott, 10. Oshane Thomas, 11. Ashley Nurse

Guyana Amazon Warriors

  • West Indies Internationals: Nicholas Pooran (WK/C), Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Chandrapaul Hemraj (6 ODIs), Odean Smith (2 T20I)
  • West Indies Domestic: Anthony Bramble (WK), Gudakesh Motie, Ashmead Nedd, Nial Smith
  • Foreign Recruits: Imran Tahir (South Africa), Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan), Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan)

Coaching Staff: Rayon Griffith

I am looking forward to the dynamic between young & experience. While Pooran, Hetmyer, Shepher, & King have youth on their side, Hafeez, Malik, and Tahir are world class T20 match-winners.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Expected XI:

  1. Brandon King, 2. Chandrapaul Hemraj, 3. Mohammad Hafeez, 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Nicholas Pooran, 6. Shoaib Malik, 7. Anthony Bramble, 8. Odean Smith, 9. Romario Shepherd, 10. Imran Tahir, 11. Naveen-ul-Haq/Kevin Sinclair

Saint Lucia Kings

  • West Indies Internationals: Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Andre Fletcher, Alzarri Joseph, Obed McCoy, Keemo Paul, Kesrick Williams
  • West Indies Domestic: Kadeem Alleyne, Keron Cottoy, Mark Deyal, Javelle Glen, Jeavor Royal
  • Foreign Recruits: Faf du Plessis – C (South Africa), Tim David (Singapore), Samit Patel (England), Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz (Pakistan)

Coaching Staff: Andy Flower

I am looking forward to the West Indies internationals. Roston Chase, Cornwall, Kesrick Williams, Paul are not in the current T20I plan for the West Indies and Joseph, McCoy, and Paul are still on the fringes. This CPL season will show who gets in and who does not to the T20 World Cup squad. Also hope that Faf du Plessis has recovered from the concussion.

Saint Lucia Kings Expected XI:

  1. Faf du Plessis, 2. Andre Fletcher, 3. Rahkeem Cornwall, 4. Roston Chase, 5. Tim David, 6. Samit Patel, 7. Keemo Paul, 8. Kesrick Williams, 9. Usman Qadir/Wahab Riaz, 10. Obed McCoy, 11. Alzarri Joseph

St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots

  • West Indies Internationals: Dwayne Bravo (C), Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Joshua Da Silva (WK), Rayad Emrit, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Devon Thomas
  • West Indies Domestic: Colin Archibald, Dominic Drakes, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Mikyle Louis
  • Foreign Recruits: Asif Ali (Pakistan), Ravi Bopara (England), Fawad Ahmed (Australia), Paul van Meekeren

Coaching Staff: Simon Helmot

I am looking forward to Evin Lewis & Fabian Allen. They have been the two standout performers in the last three home T20I series. Can they continue their good form?

St. Kitts & Patriots Expected XI:

  1. Devon Thomas, 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Chris Gayle, 4. Sherfane Rutherford, 5. Ravi Bopara, 6. Asif Ali, 7. Joshua Da Silva, 8. Dwayne Bravo, 9. Fabian Allen, 10. Fawad Ahmed, 11. Sheldon Cottrell

Jamaica Tallawahs

  • West Indies Internationals: Rovman Powell (C), Carlos Brathwaite, Andre Russell, Shamarh Brooks, Fidel Edwards, Jason Mohmammed, Veerasammy Permaul, Chadwick Walton (WK)
  • West Indies Domestic: Joshua James, Kennar Lewis, Abhijai Mansingh, Kirk McKenzie, Imran Khan
  • Foreign Recruits: Haider Ali (Pakistan), Ryan Persaud (USA), Migael Pretorius (South Africa), Qais Ahmad (Afghanistan)

Coaching Staff: Floyd Reifer

I am looking forward to the star-studded lower middle order—Powell, Brathwaite, and Russell. 255/5 in their opening game already shows the potential of this team.

Jamaica Tallawahs Expected XI:

  1. Chadwick Walton (WK), 2. Kennar Lewis, 3. Haider Ali, 4. Shamarh Brooks, 5. Rovmann Powell, 6. Andre russell, 7. Carlos Brathwaite, 8. Chris Green, 9. Veerasammy Permaul, 10. Fidel Edwards, 11. Qais Ahmed

Key Match Ups To Watch Out For

  1. Huge CPL season ahead for Andre Fletcher – The Spice Man came back to the West Indies T20I side on a back of a good BBL and Big Bash tournament. However, his form in the international arena dropped off. Johnson Charles & Brandon King are contenders for the reserve opener spot if Fletcher does not have a good show here.
  2. Warriors show glimpse of West Indies’ future – Brandon King, Pooran, Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair may form the core of a future West Indies team without Gayle, Pollard, or Bravo.
  3. Can Trinbago Knight Riders do it again? Last season TKR won 12 games on a trot to dominate CPL 2020. With a similar composition of their squad, can they make it 5 trophies?

Caribbean Premier League 2021 Predictions

Finally here are my predictions.

My prediction for the team to lift the CPL 2021 trophy is….Jamaica Tallawahs with the Top 4 of Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, and Trinbago Knight Riders.

  • Most Runs: Evin Lewis
  • Most Wickets: Obed McCoy
  • Emerging Player: Rohail Nazir
  • Surprise Package: Tim David/Jake Lintott
  • Broken Cricket Dream: Final CPL edition for Shoaib Malik?

Here were my Caribbean Premier League – CPL 2021 Predictions. What did you think? What are YOUR predictions? Comment Below!

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© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2021. Originally published on 08/30/2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).

5 Reasons Why BCCI Should Allow Players In Foreign Leagues? Learn From the West Indies

by | May 20, 2021 | Analysis, Cricket innovations, Miscellaneous

Since MS Dhoni’s men lifted the inaugural T20I World Cup trophy in 2007, the Indian cricket team has failed to reach those heights again in the T20 format.

Indian Premier League is cricket world’s most lucrative and competitive tournament, providing Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) the monopoly to dominate cricket politics. Its influence has reached such an extent that England is even proposing to host the remainder of the IPL by reducing the 5-Test series, but that is another story.  

While IPL’s brand has hit the ceiling over the past decade, the quality of the Indian international T20I team has remained stagnant.

One of the main reasons is BCCI’s reluctance to let Indian cricketers play in foreign leagues—the Hundred, CPL, BBL, BPL, PSL, Abu Dhabi T10 among others.

Also Read: Babar Azam, Shaheen, Rizwan: The Case for Pakistan Players in the IPL

1. The Argument – Out of Favor Players Need an Outlet

India is sending separate squads for the England Test tour and Sri Lanka limited-overs series, an insight into the future.

Separate squads for different formats mean more international spots for domestic players. Yet, fringe players have limited opportunities. Out-of-favor players should have multiple outlets to stake a claim or regain lost spots.

Players looking to break into the Indian Test squad usually grind it out in Ranji Trophy or county cricket, but what about limited overs specialists? How about domestic stalwarts without an IPL contract but can provide value overseas? Or consider Kuldeep Yadav’s case, who has been warming the bench for two seasons.

If you rest, you rust.

Rather than wait an entire year for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and IPL, these cricketers could sharpen their skills overseas. They would improve, become financially stable, and help BCCI learn more about them.

Win-win situation.

2. Retired Players

Yuvraj Singh had to retire from cricket altogether to qualify for a T10 tournament, while Harbhajan Singh and plenty of others were denied altogether in similar cases. Not a proper way to treat legends.  

In 2007, Australia’s greatest era was coming to an end with retirements of Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Shane Warne, & Glenn McGrath.

Their acquisition highlighted the early days of the IPL. Hayden was CSK’s mainstay (remember the Mongoose Bat?), Warne inspired Rajasthan Royals’ inaugural win, and Gilchrist did the same with Deccan Chargers in 2009.

Watson exemplifies these points. His Player of the Series performance in IPL 2008 reignited his flailing international career. Post-retirement, Watson regained form in PSL 2019 (Player of the Series), held prior to IPL 2019, which helped CSK in their run to the final.

3. Learn From the West Indies

West Indies just announced a blockbuster summer ahead. 4 Tests, 3 ODIs, and 15 T20Is, right in time for the T20 World Cup. The likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, and Dwayne Bravo have returned. Consider this squad for a second:

  1. Chris Gayle, 2. Evil Lewis, 3. Nicholas Pooran, 4. Shimron Hetmyer, 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Andre Russell, 7. Jason Holder, 8. Dwayne Bravo, 9. Oshane Thomas, 10. Sheldon Cottrell, 11. Hayden Walsh Jr.

With Lendl Simmons, Andre Fletcher, Fabian Allen, Fidel Edwards, Akeal Hosein, & Obed McCoy on the sidelines and Sunil Narine yet to make his international comeback, this team is ready to complete their World Cup hattrick.

Benchmarking helps.

4. Match Practice and Pressure Situations

What is the secret sauce of this Caribbean generation?

In between World Cups, players employ their trade around the various leagues, gain valuable match practice in all conditions, simulate pressure situations, and experience playing with or against world-class opposition.

One can argue that West Indians were born for T20 format, but the same cannot be said about England.

Before 2015, England were adamant against the IPL and T20 leagues, except for Kevin Pietersen. Post the 2015 ODI World Cup debacle, they changed their thinking. The result? Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, and Jofra Archer had stellar seasons, became better limited overs players as a result, and England won the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Radical change. Rapid strides.

5. The Solution

While injuries and players undervaluing internationals for T20 obligations are genuine concerns, there is a solution—implement a maximum cap of 2-3 leagues per year. This will ensure clarity in communication and provide time to obtain No-objection certificates (NOC), which will help cricketers manage commitments without giving up international dreams.

It does not have to be an all-or-nothing, but frankly the conversation needs to start somewhere.

Safeguarding the IPL brand is hurting India internationally.

IPL helped catapult India to the 2011 Cricket World Cup, but others have caught up. It is time BCCI let their players develop internationally if they have any chance in future T20 World Cups.

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