CPL 2021: Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders- Match Preview

The first match of the Caribbean Premier League 2021 (CPL 2021) sees Trinbago Knight Riders take on Guyana Amazon Warriors at Warner Park on Thursday. Trinbago Knight Riders are the defending champions and are the most successful franchise in the tournament. The Kieron Pollard and Co. would be keen to claim their second consecutive title ahead of a new season.

Guyana Amazon Warriors, on the other hand, finished second on the points table in the last edition. They lost to St. Lucia Kings in the second semi-final of the tournament. The Warriors would be aiming for nothing less than a title this time. 

Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders- Match Preview

Guyana Amazon Warriors: 

Guyana Amazon Warriors is one of the most consistent teams in the tournament. They have finished as the runners-up on five different occasions. However, they are yet to claim a title. The last edition saw them lose in the semi-finals. Warriors will be led by Nicholas Pooran. 

He along with Shimron Hetmyer will be key in the batting department. Both were phenomenal in the last edition. Simmons scored 245 in 11 matches, while Hetmyer compiled 245 in the same number of games. The overseas signings, Shoaib Malik and M Hafeez will provide the needed experience in the batting line-up. 

The Warriors have a seasoned campaigner in Imran Tahir in the spin department, however, there aren’t prominent names in the seam bowling department. They will be heavily dependent on Naveen Ul Haq and that could be a big concern for them.

Full Squad: Nicholas Pooran (c), Imran Tahir, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Romario Shepherd, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Odean Smith, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd, Waqar Salamkheil, Nial Smith, Gudakesh Motie, Imran Tahir, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez, Waqar Salamkheil, Naveen-ul-Haq

Trinbago Knight Riders: 

Trinbago Knight Riders stayed unbeaten last year and claimed their fourth CPL title. Kieron Pollard and Co. exhibited a stellar performance last year as they didn’t lose a single during the season. While they have retained most of the players for this season, the absence of Dwayne Bravo from the team is likely to hurt them a lot. 

The batting line-up has the experience of Lendl Simmons, Colin Munro, and Kieron Pollard. Simmons is the top-run scorer for Knight Riders in the tournament. He has 339 runs to his name in the last 9 games at an average of 48 and a strike rate of 126. Besides, the presence of Darren Bravo and Tim Siefert should strengthen their batting further. Sunil Narine’s availability further gives them depth in the batting line-up, They will have the option to use him as a pinch hitter at the top of the order. 

As far as bowling is concerned, Jayden Seales will be one of the biggest bets. The young seamer has impressed one and all with his on-field exploits. He is going to be one of the players to watch out for. He will be supported by Ali Khan in the fast bowling department. The spin bowling duties will be shared by Sunil Narine, Akeal Hoesin, and Yasir Shah. Hosein was the leading wicket-taker for the Knight Riders last season, picking 10 wickets in 7 games at a strike rate of 16. 

Full Squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Denesh Ramdin, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Anderson Phillip, Tion Webster, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Ali Khan, Ravi Rampaul, Leonardo Julien, Isuru Udana, Yasir Shah, Colin Munro