CPL 2021: Varied armoury brings solidity to Trinbago Knight Riders unit

What could be the most difficult aspect of this game? Batting, bowling or fielding? Probably, yes, but more than anything, it is sustaining to stay at the top. 

That pressure of defending your title in comparison to lifting the trophy for the first time is immense. But this doesn’t seem to be the case with Trinbago Knight Riders. Team manager Colin Borde has already said that the team is under “no pressure” whatsoever. 

Well, as they say, attack is the best defence. 

For TKR, this seems to be the basic plan as the side goes into the tournament to defend the title. 

The defending champions begin the competition against Guyana Amazon Warriors on August 26, 2021 which will also mark the start of CPL 2021 in St Kitts. All the matches will be played at the same venue. 

TKR have always invested in experience and they have continued to do the same as they picked up the squad for this edition of the Caribbean Premier League. From Kieron Pollard to Sunil Narine and from Yasir Shah to Colin Munro, the unit has a bunch of players with vast experience especially in the shorter format of the game who have played cricket all around the globe and probably under all sorts of conditions. 

Trinbago Knight Riders squad: Kieron Pollard (captain), Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Yasir Shah, Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Isuru Udana, Tim Seifert, Anderson Phillip, Denesh Ramdin, Tion Webster, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Leonardo Julien, Ali Khan.

Team News

Trinbago made a bold decision after they let go of experienced all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and traded him to St Kitts/Nevis Patriots, with experienced wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin who made a return to the franchise. “Obviously, to any team, Dwayne is an asset,” Borde had said. “We have the requisite expertise and experience to forge ahead.”

TKR retained as many 12 players and completed their squad of 16 after the conclusion of the CPL draft. They attained the services of Ravi Rampaul, Isuru Udana, Sandeep Lamichchane and wicket-keeper batsman Leonardo Julien.

But Lamichhane and Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza were later replaced by Pakistan’s Yasir Shah and New Zealand keeper Tim Siefert respectively. Shah had featured in the CPL back in 2018 for the Knight Riders for a short span of time while Siefert was a part of it in the 2020 edition. 

Lamichhane would be busy with national duties during that time as Nepal would be battling it out against Papua New Guinea in Oman. 

Let the willow talk

Those who follow the Indian Premier League or are Kolkata Knight Riders fans would know what Sunil Narine brings to the table not just with the ball but with the bat too. 

Narine has opened the innings for the T20 franchises and the move has come as a success for his sides. The left-handed batsman can fetch runs at brisk pace in the power play overs that gives the side an edge and a basic foundation to post a big total. 

Apart from him, Darren Bravo and Lendl Simmons are the other two batters who can be lethal against any bowling attack on their day. Both the players have the ability to go after the opponents’ bowling line up and hammer them around the park. 

West Indies cricket fans would remember how Simmons hammered India in the semis to notch up a 51-ball 82. Interestingly, that was his first game of the tournament. 

So, if Simmons along with Bravo or Narine go all guns blazing, the bowling attacks would be in all sorts of trouble.

Next in the list are some international recruits such as Colin Munro and Tim Seifert. 

Munro’s tally of 300 T20 matches speaks for itself. The left-hander has scored over 7000 runs in T20 format at a strike-rate of 143.87 which gives one an idea about how menacing he can be with the willow in his hands. 

Tim Seifert on the other hand, if given a chance in the final XI can prove to be an asset. The right-hander too has a lot of T20 experience. 

Captain Kieron Pollard would play a vital role in creating a balance in the batting unit as he is capable enough to steady the ship for the side if and when required while can score runs quickly and increase the scoring-rate whenever needed. 

The TKR would want him to play that anchor’s role, especially while chasing. The presence of wicket-keeper batsman Denesh Ramdin and Isuru Udana in the middle and lower middle-order also brings stability in the batting department for TKR. 

Variety in bowling

Sunil Narine, Yasir Shah, Ravi Rampaul, Isuru Udana, Kieron Pollard and now Jayden Seales. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you see such a bowling line up? Experience? Yes. Strength? Yes. But most importantly, it is the variety that these bowlers bring. 

Narine is probably one of the most successful bowlers when it comes to power play. He has the ability to keep a check on the run flow especially in the starting of the proceedings. 

Then comes another spinner, Yasir Shah. The leg-spinners are said to belong to that genre of bowling who are at the receiving end if the batsmen are on song but the leggies are the most lethal and dangerous too. 

From the wrong-uns to tossed up leg spin deliveries, they can deceive the batsmen with authority and rip through any line up. Moreover, the amount of cricket that Yasir Shah has played, he is a well-equipped bowler. 

A left-arm pacer has a lot on offer for his team. He can deceive the batsmen with the deliveries coming in or the ones moving away quite efficiently. 

There came a time in the 2019 World Cup in England where almost all the teams barring India had at least one left-arm pacer in the unit. Though, the conditions were pretty different then but the responsibility would be similar. 

Trinbago have Isuru Udana in their ranks. The Sri Lankan has played some franchise cricket and his international exposure would come as a boon for the side. 

TKR have a mix of young lads and experienced campaigners in their side. Someone like Ravi Rampaul would not just only be an important cog in the wheel for the team but he can be one of those players who would mentor and nurture the young crop which includes someone like Jayden Seales.

Seales would be riding high after the way he has performed recently in the Tests especially against Pakistan in their first encounter of the series where the pacer bagged a total of 8 wickets. 

Skipper Pollard will have an extra bit of responsibility on himself as he will have to chip in with some overs as well. The right-arm bowler has impressed everyone with his bowling in the past and would look to pick wickets consistently for the side. 

Overall, the team looks to be a balanced one and has a lot of variety as well. 

Probable XI: Sunil Narine, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Colin Munro, Kieron Pollard (C), Denesh Ramdin, Isuru Udana, Ravi Rampaul, Yasir Shah, Jayden Seales, Akeal Hosein