The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), one of the most notable T20 leagues in the world, has teamed up with Rario, the world’s first officially licensed digital collectibles platform for cricket, which allows fans to acquire historic cricketing moments from the upcoming tournament as well as the previous editions of the renowned league.

The digital platform dropped a rare collectibles pack on July 15 – “The Cricket Carnival- Legends Pack”, which includes one Black card, the rarest commodity on the platform, and five Gold cards from the CPL 2022 edition. The pack is priced at $225, given the amazing collection of cards that will enable the players to prepare for the exciting Cricket Strategy Game, to be launched soon.

If you are a fan of the game, you will love to get your hands on these collectibles and grab this glorious opportunity to own a piece of cricketing history. Buyers can also opt for The Cricket Carnival- Champions Pack, which includes six player cards, two Gold cards, and four Silver cards, one from each franchise, available for $75. The buyers might find this pack more accessible and can own some of the most memorable moments from the tournament’s illustrious history.

Talking more about the Black cards, the rare collectible edition features some of the most iconic players in the league’s history, and one player who is sure to be on top of many fans’ wishlist is the West Indian skipper Nicholas Pooran. The explosive wicketkeeper-batter will also be leading Guyana Amazon Warriors in CPL 2022.

Let’s glance over the three most memorable knocks of Nicholas Pooran throughout the CPL history

1. 100* off 45 vs Patriots in 2020

Pooran grabbed the bull by the horns in the game against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots when Guyana were in all sorts of trouble in their pursuit of 151 as they lost their top three batters cheaply inside the powerplay. With the pressure building on the team, the southpaw decided to open his arms and notched up a scintillating 45-ball century, the third fastest in CPL history at the time. His unbeaten century ensured that Guyana strolled past the finishing line with 15 balls to spare.

2. 81 off 39 vs Zouks in 2016

Barbados Tridents welcomed St Lucia Zouks in the 18th league match of the 2016 CPL season and were put in to bat first by St Lucia. After a steady start by the openers, Barbados lost their way with quick wickets in the middle overs and were looking like stumbling to a mediocre total. But a 20-year-old Pooran had other ideas as the wickets at regular intervals did not deter his fearless approach. He smashed the St Lucia’s bowlers all around the park and scored a breathtaking 81 off 39 deliveries before being dismissed. His innings propelled Tridents to 173/5, a total that proved too much for the opposition team as they fell short by 25 runs in their chase.

3. 75* off 39 vs Tallawahs in 2021

Nicholas Pooran came to the rescue for Guyana once again last year after his side were struggling to accumulate runs in the first innings of the 26th match against Jamaica Tallawahs. The southpaw stitched crucial partnership in the middle overs with veteran Shoaib Malik and Anthony Bramble as he slew the Jamaican bowlers in his expeditious 75* off 39 deliveries. His innings ensured that Guyana finished with an above-par score of 169/6. The skipper’s brilliance with the bat was followed by excellent performances by his bowlers, who dismissed Jamaica for a meager 123 in their chase.

Be it those massive sixes, astonishing fielding efforts or nailing yorkers– the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) remains home to all kinds of exciting cricket action. Thankfully, Rario, the cricket NFT platform, has made life easy for fans by making available the best moments from the league on its marketplace.

Here’s the list of iconic moments from CPL season 3 and 4 that would be soon available on Rario’s marketplace:

1: Daniel Vettori’s one-handed blinder in CPL 3

Fielding is a tough job, especially when you are in your mid 30s. But Daniel Vettori, back in CPL 2015, proved that age is just a number. The former New Zealand skipper was 36 at that time, yet his super catch in the match between St Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs made everyone believe that it was a jet flying around in the field. 

Vettori was fielding at short mid-wicket and Andre Fletcher swung hard at an overpitched delivery. He might have thought it would easily go over Vettori for a boundary. However, Vettori flew to his left and grabbed a blinder to show Fletcher the pavilion’s door. 

2: AB de Villiers’ 360° shot in CPL 4

Bowl it wide outside off and he will send it flying towards fine-leg boundary! Bowl it on legs and he will reverse scoop it to the third man fence! People call him Mr 360° for a reason. There is rarely any shot in the world that hasn’t come off AB de Villiers’ bat. 

In CPL 4, displaying his wide-range of shots, de Villiers left his fellow countryman Tabraiz Shamsi in shock! The South African legend followed a full-toss bowled outside off by Shamsi. He sat down on one-leg and dispatched it for a boundary through fine-leg as the fielder was inside the circle. 

3: Shahid Afridi’s massive six in CPL 3

Shahid Afridi and the art of hitting massive sixes are synonymous with each other. The former Pakistan skipper knew only one way of playing: hit it big or return back home. It is the reason that most of the biggest sixes in world cricket have come from his bat. 

He smashed some biggies in CPL as well. One of them came in season three when he launched a huge maximum off Ravi Rampaul’s bowling. “Unfortunately, you can only get six for that because that has gone way down,” Ian Bishop complimented from the commentary box as the crowd roared in celebration in the background. 

4: Dale Steyn’s ripper in CPL 4

“Poetry in motion” is how people described Dale Steyn’s bowling. He had a smooth run-up and a wrist position as straight as an arrow. Whenever he ran into bowl, batters had to ensure they are at their best because Steyn was an expert in exploiting any loopholes.

He often uprooted stumps, which is termed as one of the best moments for a fast-bowler. In one of the matches of CPL season four, the Protea veteran sent Carlos Bratihwaite’s leg-stump flying. The ball came in just a bit and Braithwaite didn’t look in control at all. 

5: Faf du Plessis’ six on roof in CPL 4

How would you describe Faf du Plessis? A batter with an above-par backlift, a unique stance and a deadly bat swing! Near enough? Faf is doubtlessly one of the most stylish batters around and his six-hitting ability makes him as much dangerous to bowl at.

In the match between Jamaica Tallawahs and Guyana Amazon Warriors of CPL 4 at Warner Park, he made most of his powerful arms by dispatching a monstrous six, which landed on the roof of one of the stands in the stadium. Bowler made the mistake of bowling it in his arc and all Faf had to do was to send it flying over long-on boundary. 

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The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) was launched in 2013. From the very beginning, the tournament has been seeing top cricketing stars putting on their best performances to emerge on top. Rario, the cricket NFT giant, has partnered with CPL to make available the best moments from the league for cricket fans.

Let’s look at the most epic moments from CPL season 1 and 2 that would be soon available on the Rario marketplace:

1. Shakib Al Hasan’s six wickets for six runs in CPL 1

In 2013 during the first season of CPL, Shakib Al Hasan bowled a record bowling spell at Kensington Oval. The left-arm spinner returned with the figures of 4-1-6-6 to hand his team a 4-wicket win. The Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel batters seemed to have no answers to Shakib’s wicket-to-wicket bowling.

He spun the web so well that Barbados Tridents captain Kieron Pollard had to set-up a Test match field with a slip and a silly-point in place. Pollard, of course, placed himself at silly-point and took a stunner to help Shakib end his iconic spell on top.

2. Martin Guptil’s one-handed screamer in CPL 2 

Boundary catches are always tough but when the ball is hit fast and flat, it becomes much more difficult. But when someone like Martin Guptil fields around the ropes, there is always a chance. The Kiwi star pulled off a stunner in CPL 2014 to dismiss Kevin Pietersen in the match between ST Lucia Zouks and Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park.

Navin Stewart bowled a slower bouncer which Pietersen tried to heave towards wide long-on boundary but Martin Guptil stood in between. Guptil leapt up high in the air and grabbed a one-handed screamer to send Pietersen back to the pavilion. 

3. Tilakaratne Dilshan’s signature ‘dil-scoop’ in CPL 1

Modern-day cricket is all about innovations, be it with the bat, ball or in the field. But there are a few innovative shots that came from the former cricketers. Tilakarantne Dilshan’s dil-scoop is one of them. The Sri Lankan veteran played it with so ease that it seemed just another copybook shot.

In CPL season 1, he sent Fidel Edwards’ full-pitched delivery flying towards fine-leg boundary with his trademark ‘dil-scoop’ shot. Edwards bowled a delivery in at around 145kmph and all Dilshan did was put his bat in front of his head and Edwards’ pace took it over the boundary rope. 

4. Ricky Ponting’s direct-hit from point in CPL 1

Ricky Ponting was a star with the bat, an impeccable leader and on top of it, an incredible fielder as well. His fielding efforts would often make the crowd go bonkers. In CPL 2013, the former Aussie skipper nailed a direct-hit while fielding at point to send a well-set James Franklin back to the dugout.

Franklin dropped a good-length delivery for a single towards point. But Ponting was quick to grab the ball and with just one stump visible, he sent bails flying. “Just a reminder about his brilliance in the field, only had the one stump to shy at,” shouted Mike Haysman from the commentary box. 

5. Sunil Narine’s record no-run super-over in CPL 2

In match number five of CPL 2014, batting first Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel posted a below-par total of 118 runs. Succumbing to the pressure of a low-scoring encounter, Guyana Amazon Warriors also lost wickets on regular intervals in response. The match ended in a draw and it was left for super-over to decide the winner of the match.

Guyana made 11 runs in the super-over and to defend it, they handed the ball to Sunil Narine. The mystery spinner did an impossible job: bowled four consecutive dots to dangerous Nicholas Pooran before dismissing him on the fifth ball. He bowled another dot to finish the over and created history. Narine became the first bowler to bowl a MAIDEN super-over– the record which is still intact. 

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Caribbean Premier League (CPL) franchise Saint Lucia Kings announced the appointment of Darren Sammy as the team’s head coach on Friday (June 17). The former West Indies captain’s tenure will get underway this season which is scheduled to begin on August 30 and conclude on September 30.

Skipper Sammy led West Indies to T20 World Cup glory twice during his tenure, in the years 2012 and 2016. As a player, he also played a big role in taking Saint Lucia Kings (St Lucia Zouks earlier) into the finals twice during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The franchise had announced last year that the all-rounder will not be participating as a player from the next season onwards.

Sammy’s appointment as Saint Lucia’s coach ensures that his affiliation with the tournament, which he has had since its establishment, will extend. Sammy had served the team in a variety of capacities, including as a player, captain, ambassador, assistant coach, and mentor.

“St Lucia is and will always be my home, it was always part of the plan to lead the franchise after my playing days. The time is now. I can’t wait to start this next chapter with this amazing franchise as we continue on our quest to win our first CPL title. Many thanks to the Kings franchise owners for the faith shown in me for this role. The journey continues,” said Sammy on his appointment.

Darren Sammy was a natural choice given his natural skills: Satish Menon

Saint Lucia Kings played the finals in two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) but could not win the title. Sammy, who has been associated with the franchise since 2013, will now look to take the side to a championship title while acting in a different capacity.

“We’re very happy to have Darren onboard as the new head coach for Saint Lucia Kings. He has been an integral part of the team once as a player captain and mentor. Now he will be seen in a new role as its head coach and as always will continue to inspire the team and propel them to greater heights. He was a natural choice given his natural skills both as a player and a leader and am sure that under his stewardship Saint Lucia Kings will continue to be a force to reckon with,” said Satish Menon, CEO, KPH Dream Cricket Pvt Ltd.

07th April 2022: Barbados Royals have appointed Trevor Penney as their Head Coach for the 2022 season of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Pennney will work closely with the Royals’ Director of Cricket, Kumar Sangakkara as part of the role.

Currently working as the Assistant Coach for 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with partner franchise Rajasthan Royals, Penney’s new role sees him continue his association with the Royals Sports Group. Penney has been a stalwart of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, having a career for seventeen years as a player with the county club before setting off on his extensive coaching career around the world.

He has vast experience working on the international scene with teams India, Sri Lanka, England and more recently with the West Indies white-ball team. He has also been involved through his coaching with associate nations such as the Netherlands and the USA. The Zimbabwean has previously been a regular feature on the T20 franchise circuit with past experiences in leagues such as the IPL the CPL, Bangladesh Premier League, and the GT20 Canadian League.

“It’s wonderful to continue in being a part of the Royals Family, across a new league. I’ve previously been a part of the CPL and I’m excited to be back in the league as part of the Barbados Royals this time,” Penney said on his appointment with the CPL franchise. “Working alongside Kumar, I feel we’ve got a great opportunity to create an environment that helps everyone express themselves and play the brand of cricket we want to play here at the Royals. I’m really looking forward to working with some top talent in the West Indian game and hopefully help them get better.”

Welcoming him Barbados, a statement from the team read, “It’s fantastic to have Trevor as the Head Coach here at Barbados Royals. We’re really happy to have him add another key role as part of the Royals Family. It’s beneficial to have one coach working across the two Royals teams, and we feel it will help us translate our learnings and our way of cricket across both the teams and have that uniformity. Trevor Penney is one with the values and ideology that we have here at the Royals and is also one of the most revered coaches in international cricket, has a lot of experience and understands the game very well which will help contribute to the squad’s overall growth and performance.”

Barbados Royals have announced further additions to their coaching set up. West Indies bowling coach Roddy Estwick joins the Royals as Lead Assistant Coach for the upcoming season. The Barbados native was assistant coach at St Lucia Kings in previous seasons. In addition, former Jamaica fast bowler Andrew “Trash” Richardson continues with the Royals as Assistant Coach, a role he also held in 2021.

The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) have officially announced the list of player retentions and signings of the local players for the 2022 season. Many of the renowned West Indies stars have found special mention in this category but more importantly, the franchises have also shown faith in their consistent performers.

The 2022 edition of CPL kicks off on August 30 with the final set to be played on September 30 and six teams will be participating in the tournament. St Kitts & Nevis Patriots are the defending champions. They beat the Saint Lucia Kings in the final of the previous edition. The premier franchise T20 competition in the West Indies has featured six teams ever since its inception in 2013 and there will not be any difference in the number of teams this time either.

The title-holders St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have retained skipper Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Sheldon Cottrell, Sherfane Rutherford. The runners-up Saint Lucia Kings have shown faith in the previous season’s Player of the Tournament Roston Chase along with the likes of pacers Kesrick Williams and Alzarri Joseph.

One of the well-known teams Trinbago Knight Riders have not only retained the star-studded line-up of Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, etc but, have also made mega signings by roping in Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran. The Jamaica Tallawahs have not only retained their skipper Rovman Powell but have also trusted the abilities of the promising batting duo of Kennar Lewis and Shamarh Brooks.

Meanwhile, the Barbados Royals decided to retain their captain and star all-rounder Jason Holder for the upcoming season along with Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh, Oshane Thomas, etc. They have signed two seasoned West Indies players- Devon Thomas and Obed McCoy. Guyana Amazon Warriors have retained Shimron Hetmyer, Odean Smith, and, Romario Shepherd apart from signing Keemo Paul.

With all the pre-draft CPL 2022 player retentions and signings so far along with released, here’s a look at the list of all teams.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Retentions: Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Sherfane Rutherford, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes

New Signings: Andre Fletcher, Darren Bravo

Trinbago Knight Rider

Retentions: Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Tion Webster

New Signings: Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran

St Lucia Kings

Retentions: Roston Chase, Kesrick Williams, Alzarri Joseph, Jeavor Royal

New Signings: Johnson Charles, Mark Deyal

Barbados Royals

Retentions: Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh, Oshane Thomas, Nyeem Young

New Signings: Obed McCoy, Devon Thomas

Jamaica Tallawahs

Retentions: Rovman Powell, Kennar Lewis, Shamarah Brooks

New Signings: Fabian Allen, Brandon King

Guyana Amazon Warriors

Retentions: Shimron Hetmyer, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Chaderpaul Hemraj

New Signings: Keemo Paul, Gudakesh Motie

Former West Indies batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been appointed the new head coach of Jamaica Tallawahs for the 2022 edition of the Caribbean Premier League. The former left-handed batter has replaced Floyd Reifer who has taken over the West Indies under-19 side and the franchise will be immensely benefited by the experience of Chanderpaul. The 49-year-old had been a former captain of the West Indies side and his international career spanned over two decades.

Chanderpaul had a unique technique that made him so special as he would start off showing all three his stumps and his trigger movement was so much that confused many bowlers around the world. However, he remains one of the best ever to have played the game with 11864 runs in 164 Tests at an average of over 51. He scored 30 centuries and 66 half-centuries in his Test career alongside playing 268 ODIs and 22 T20Is as well.

Shivnarine will take Jamaica Tallawahs to new heights – franchise owner

Meanwhile, Jamaica Tallawahs owner Krishna Persaud is pretty confident that Chanderpaul will be a valuable addition to the coaching panel and mentioned his achievements in the international circuit. He also noted that Curtley Ambrose will be huge in the coaching setup with his experience and was delighted to have him as the bowling coach for the franchise.

“Shivnarine has had an illustrious playing career and is one of the greats of the game. He has served West Indies cricket with distinction, and I know he will take the Tallawahs to new heights,” said the owner of the franchise Krishna Persaud as quoted by Cricbuzz

“Sir Curtley brings in a lot of technical expertise and experience to the Tallawahs and we look forward to having him in the team.” he added

Ambrose is another legend of the game who had created a lot of sleepless nights for the batters with his excellent fast bowling. With 405 Tests wickets in 98 Tests, Ambrose was part of the famous West Indian bowling attack in the 1990s that dominated the world. He was almost unplayable in the home conditions and Jamaica Tallawahs will be lucky to have him in. the side.

The final of the 2021 CPL between Saint Lucia Kings and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots kept everyone at the edge of their seats. The game at the Warner Park turned out to be a nail-biter as it went down to the last ball and Dominic Drakes picked up a single to take the Patriots to their maiden CPL title. The intensity of the match also got the better of Naseem Shah, who lost his composure for a while.

The Pakistan speedster had an excellent day with the ball as he picked up the crucial wickets of Roston Chase, the leading run-scorer of the tournament, and Keemo Paul. But after dismissing Paul, Shah seemed to have gone a tad overboard. The 18-year-old pacer bowled a slower ball on middle stump and the right-handed Paul tried to clear the long-on boundary to fetch a six.

But Paul couldn’t make a proper connection and was holed out to substitute fielder Jonathan Carter. Thereafter, Shah looked Paul in the eye with a lot of aggression and pointed his finger towards the dugout. Paul also looked back at the young seamer and said a few words. Paul got out in the penultimate ball of the 20th over after scoring 39 runs off 21 balls with five sixes.

Here’s the video involving Naseem Shah and Keemo Paul

Off you go‼️
Things are getting spicy here between the @sknpatriots and the @SaintLuciaKings! #CPL21 #CPLFinal #SKNPvSLK #CricketPlayedLouder pic.twitter.com/LoGkw2aIm0

— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 15, 2021

Paul came to bat at a stage when the Kings were reeling at 100 for five in 14.2 overs. In the 19th over, he smashed Dominic Drakes for three sixes in a row to inject some impetus into the Kings’ innings. In the end, the Kings racked up 159 for seven. Opener Rahkeem Cornwall and Chase got scores in the 40s. Apart from Shah, leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed also got two wickets for the Patriots.

In the run-chase, it was Drakes, who made sure that the Kings lost back-to-back finals in the CPL. The southpaw stayed unbeaten on a 24-ball 48 with the help of three fours and as many sixes. With two balls left, he smashed Kesrick Williams for a four through the off-side to make the Patriots favourites to win. After Fabian Allen got out, Drakes took charge and guided his team over the line.

The 2021 edition of the CPL came to a close with an exciting contest between the Saint Lucia Kings and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on Wednesday, Thursday, September 15 at the Warner Park in St Kitts. The game went right down to the last ball and in the end, the Patriots won by three wickets. Dominic Drakes’ unbeaten 24-ball 48 took them over the line in the thrilling encounter.

It was also the first time that the Patriots got their hands on the prestigious trophy. The tournament began last month with an exciting match between Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders and the rest of the games that followed didn’t disappoint. However, both teams were knocked out of the tournament after defeats in the semis against the Patriots and the Kings.

Barbados Royals disappointed a lot as they finished at the bottom of the points table. But they ended their campaign with a win over the Kings. Glenn Phillips and Kyle Mayers took them over the line in their last league game. Jason Holder couldn’t make the impact he was expected to as the skipper. Jamaica Tallawahs failed to live up to the massive expectations we well.

They started their campaign with a 120-run win over the Kings at the Warner Park. But they lost their way and slumped to defeats in six of their last nine matches. Kennar Lewis, Migael Pretorius and Imad Wasim did well for them, but the trio lacked support big time.

Prize Money details

Winners: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots: Rs 7.5 crore

Runners-up: St Lucia Kings: Rs 4.8 crore

Player of the match (CPL 2021 Final): Dominic Drakes (St Kitts and Nevis Patriots Rs 73,500)

Player of the tournament: Roston Chase (St Lucia Kings, 446 runs at 49.55, 10 wickets, Rs 3.6 lakh)

Other Awards

Most wickets in CPL 2021: Ravi Rampaul (Trinbago Knight Riders 19 wickets, Rs 2.2 lakh)

Most runs in CPL 2021: Roston Chase (St Lucia Kings, 446, Rs 2.2 lakh)

Most 6s in CPL 2021: Evin Lewis (St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, 38, Rs 2.2 lakh)

Biggest 6 of CPL 2021: Chris Gayle (St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Rs 73,500)

Best celebration of CPL 2021: Jeavor Royal (St Lucia Kings, Rs 73,500)

T20 leagues act as a catalyst to entertainment. The boundaries and sixes ensure that various T20 leagues across the globe never get outdated. A perfect example would be the Caribbean Premier League (CPL)

Like every season, the CPL this time around has ensured that cricket fans get to witness some quality T20 matches. There have been high-scoring matches as well as the low-scoring ones. Not only the seasoned players, but a lot of relatively new faces were at their best as well.

The number of impactful players who won matches for their respective teams were just too high. However, which are those individuals who would make it to a combined playing XI of this edition of the CPL?

In the article, we shall be taking a look at the combined XI of the CPL 2021

1) Evin Lewis

Evin Lewis is unarguably the best batsman WI have right now. There aren’t too many players as destructive as him in this format. Every captain dreams of having an opener as aggressive and fearless as him.

The Windies opener was at his absolute best in this edition as he ended up being the most successful batsman of the tournament. No batsman scored as many runs as him. The opener scored 402 runs in just the 10 games.

His batting average and strike rate in this edition are 52.50 and 164.70 respectively. This includes three fifties as well as a century. Thus, Lewis will be entering the IPL and T20 WC with a lot of confidence.

2) Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine has been one of the most impactful players in the shortest format of the game. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that he is one of the finest T20 players of all time. Narine once again proved the world why people rate him so highly in this format.

The spin all-rounder picked 12 wickets in 10 games. His bowling average and strike rate were 14.58 and 20 respectively. His economy rate was as low as 4.37.

Although he wasn’t at his best with the bat, he did play some handy knocks. He wasn’t given a fixed spot and thus, kept going up and down in the batting order. However, as he has played as a pinch hitter and opener in the past he finds himself opening in this XI.

3) Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis is unarguably one of the finest players of this generation. He would definitely be one of the first players who would come to your mind when you hear the word consistency. However, despite not being consistent, he was superb in this edition.

The former Proteas captain scored as many as 277 runs in just nine innings. His batting average and strike rate were 34.62 and 143.52 respectively. He was even third on the list of the highest run-scorers of CPL 2021.

It’s rather unfortunate that an injury stopped him from participating further in the tournament as he looked in decent form. He even scored a century a few games before getting injured. In fact, he scored a sensational 84 in the very match he got injured as well.

4) Roston Chase

One wouldn’t expect someone like a Roston Chase to feature in this XI. However, he was absolutely sensational in the CPL this time around. Despite being labeled as a ‘Test specialist’ he was as good as anyone could get.

The Windies all-rounder scored 403 runs in 11 games. His batting average and strike rate in the tournament are 50.37 and 149.81 respectively. He also happens to be second on the list of the highest run-scorers of CPL 2021.

Last but not the least, he picked seven wickets with the ball too. It is safe to say that he took one and all by surprise. This resulted in him being named in the WI squad for the T20 WC.

5) Nicholas Pooran (WK)

Nicholas Pooran is widely considered as the next big thing in Windies cricket. Despite being inconsistent, the entire world has seen glimpses of his potential. The wicketkeeper was superb in the CPL 2021 as well.

He scored 263 runs in just the 10 innings. The keeper-batsman had a batting average and strike rate of 32.87 and 163.35 respectively. Pooran consistently provided the firepower in the middle order for the Warriors.

It was good to see him get back in touch. It was his 75 against the Tallawahs which showed his confident approach. Ultimately, it was his wicket that triggered a collapse for the Warriors in the semis as his team went on to lose the match.

6) Kieron Pollard (C)

Time doesn’t seem to be working on the Trinidadian as he seems to be aging backwards. To no one’s surprise, Pollard was absolutely sensational in this edition of the CPL as well. A rare case of muscles with brains, the big unit kept hitting the ball out of the park in this season.

The limited-overs skipper of WI will be the captain of the CPL 2021 combined XI as well. He scored 260 runs in 10 games despite batting down the order. His batting average and strike rate were 37.28 and 158.18 respectively.

He nailed the role of a finisher with precision. It gets better when one realizes that he also hit a whopping 20 sixes in this edition of the tournament. He was superb in the semis as well but alas, he couldn’t win it for his side.

7) Tim David

Tim David has proved everybody why he deserved an IPL contract. He looked like a man on a mission in this edition of the CPL. Despite batting in the lower order, he finds himself in the top five run getters of CPL 2021.

The Singaporean cricketer is fourth on the list of the highest run scorers of the tournament. He scored as many as 272 runs in just the 10 innings. His batting average and strike rate are 38.85 and 148.63.

He took his game to another level after getting an IPL contract as he was smashing boundaries and sixes for fun. As a matter of fact, his performance in the semis turned out to be the difference between the two sides as he scored 38 in just the 17 deliveries while playing for the Saint Lucia Kings. The Knight Riders fell short by 21 runs and thus, the Kings moved to the finals.

8) Odean Smith

Odean Smith was arguably one of the best bowling all-rounders of the tournament. He contributed with both, the ball as well as the bat. He had some eye-catching performances which impressed one and all.

The GAW pacer picked 18 wickets in the 11 games. His bowling average and strike rate were 14.88 and 11.8 respectively. The economy rate was on the lower side as well (7.54).

He used his hitting ability to better use as he played some useful cameos in this edition as well. His partnership with Shepherd resulted in GAW reaching the semis. With the way he is performing, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him make a comeback to the national side sooner or later.

9) Ravi Rampaul

Fans who have been watching the game for a long time would never forget his name. Ravi Rampaul is one of the better bowlers for the West Indies (WI) in the 21st century. Watching him bowl like before was an absolute treat to cricket fans all over the world.

The veteran picked the most number of wickets in this edition. He picked as many as 19 wickets in just the 10 innings. His bowling average and strike rate was 16.21 and 12.2.

The icing on the cake is the fact that his economy rate was less than 8 (7.96). His exploits in CPL 2021 has earned him a place in the West Indies squad for the T20 World Cup. With the form he showed in this edition, expect him to be at his best during the World Cup as well.

10) Romario Shepherd

Romario Shepherd has been one of the most exciting players to have emerged from the Caribbean islands of late. His height has helped him excel in his skills. The GAW pacer is second on the list of the highest wicket takers of the season.

He picked as many as 18 games in just the nine games. His bowling average and strike rate are 14.11 and 11 respectively. The pacer had an economy rate of 7.69 this season which is more than decent.

Romario picked up more than three wickets on five occasions as well. It gets better when you realise the fact that he can also hit some lusty blows with the bat. He also scored a breathtaking 72* off just 31 balls when his team were 75/7 in a match.

11) Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir is an absolute asset in the shortest format of the game. You wouldn’t find too many match-winners as valuable as him. The Proteas leggie was at his absolute best this time around too.

The spinner picked up 13 wickets in the 11 games in which he played this season. His bowling average and strike rate were 20.69 and 19.38 respectively. He has a miserly economy rate of just the 6.40.

No spinner was able to take more wickets than him in this edition of the league. The Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) benefited from his performance and reached the semis. The Chennai Super Kings fans back in India would be mighty pleased with Tahir’s recent performances in CPL 2021.