CPL 2021: Barbados Royals vs St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots- St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots Predicted Playing XI

St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots have never been to the finals in the Caribbean Premier League history, let alone winning a title. They finished at the bottom spot on the points table during the last season. Out of 10 games, they managed to secure a solitary win. Ahead of a new season, the Patriots have made some notable inclusions in the side. Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, two T20 superstars have been roped in. The duo’s inclusion should encourage more optimism this year.

Besides, Fabien Allen, who missed out on the flight into Trinidad and Tobago will be available for the franchise this year. Ewin Lewis is likely to open with Chris Gayle, while Rayad Emrit will be in charge of the team. Another notable inclusion is Fawad Ahmed, who impressed one and all in the last edition. He was the second-highest wicket-taker in CPL 2020.

St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots will play their first game of CPL 2021 against Barbados Royals on Friday. We look at their predicted playing 11

CPL 2021: Barbados Royals vs St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots- St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots Predicted Playing XI

1. Chris Gayle

The Univeral Boss, Chris Gayle will ply his trade for a new franchise this year. He might have turned 40 years old but still had in him to wreak havoc on his day. He still has got the ability to launch huge maximums. If he manages to play a few good big knocks in the tournament, St. Kitts and Patriots could then have a great chance of making it into the top-four.

2. Ewin Lewis 

Chris Gayle will be accompanied by another destructive T20 batsman in Ewin Lewis. The West Indies opener is counted among the best strikers of the ball. Apart from Chris Gayle, he is the only West Indian to have scored two centuries in T20 internationals.  He was the top scorer for St Kitts last year, in which he scored 235 runs at an average of 26.11.

3. Joshua de Silva 

He is currently West Indies’ first-choice wicket-keeper in Tests. There are no doubts about his wicket-keeping skills but still has a long way to go as far as batting in the shortest format is concerned. Ahead of the 2021 CPL edition, he will be making his debut for St. Kitts and the Patriots.

4. Sherfane Rutherford

A brilliant asset to any team in T20 cricket, Sherfane Rutherford will provide depth in both the batting and bowling unit. He has got the ability to hit huge sixes and also gives a few overs with the ball. He had a forgettable season last year. The fans would hope he makes it count in the upcoming season.

5. Dwayne Bravo 

Dwayne Bravo’s inclusion should be the biggest boost for the side. His four overs in the game are going to prove extremely vital for the team. He will bowl in the middle overs and at the death. The skipper Emrit should make sure he uses Bravo wisely as he can be the match-winner for the team. Having said that, Bravo can be destructive with the bat as well. He should bat at number five.

6. Ravi Bopara 

Ravi Bopara is another vital player in the team owing to his all-around potential. His ability to bat and bowl well in the middle period of the game should keep the team in good stead. Bopara holds an experience of playing more than 300 T20 matches, scoring close to 7000 runs at an average of 28.

7. Fabien Allan 

Fabien Allan couldn’t play the last season as he missed the flight into Trinidad and Tobago. He would be desperate to exhibit notable performances, especially with T20 World Cup coming ahead.  Fabien Allan has played 28 T20 internationals for West Indies, picking 20 wickets at an economy of 7.21.

8. Rayad Emrit 

The skipper of Rayad Emrit would be keen to make a mark this time around, given they have a solid squad at their disposal. He is one of the biggest assets for the team. The fans would hope that he would continue his good run in the upcoming edition. He picked 11 wickets in 10 matches last season at an economy of under 6.

9. Sheldon Cottrell 

Sheldon Cottrell is one of the integral cogs in St Kitts’ bowling department. With Emrit and Bravo in the team, the presence of Cottrell will make it a great fast bowling unit. It will be interesting to see how he fares in the upcoming edition.

10. Fawad Ahmed

(Image source: Twitter)

He has been making waves in T20 cricket for the last couple of years now. The Australian spinner finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in the last edition of CPL. He will play for a new franchise in St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots this year. It remains to be seen if he could deliver similar performances this season.

11. Paul van Meekeren 

Paul Adriaan van Meekeren is a Dutch cricketer who plays internationally for the Netherlands and has played domestically for Somerset and Durham in English county cricket. He has 47 wickets in 45 matches in T20 internationals at an average of 22.57.