CPL 2017: 5 debutants to look out for

The fifth edition of the Caribbean Premier League has begun with three matches already over and the fourth and fifth matches being held today, both of which are a rematch of yesterday’s matches.

Like every CPL season, this year’s edition will also see some new faces, a few of them having already gained recognition at the international arena. Here are five CPL debutants to look out for.

#5 Rashid Khan

The teenager will be an exciting player to look out for

After being sold to the Sunrisers Hyderabad for a whopping 4 crores, Rashid Khan proved himself with some tremendous performances with the ball. The 18-year old leg-break bowler ended the tournament as the joint 6th highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 17 wickets at an average of 21.05 and at an economy rate of 6.62.

The teenager’s performances in the IPL helped him get a buyer in the CPL in the Guyana Amazon Warriors for a price of $60,000 USD. The Afghan featured in the Warriors’ opening match of the tournament against the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots and bowled a pretty economical spell of 0/25 from his four overs as the Patriots won the match.

Not only is Khan a wicket-taking bowler but also someone who can control the flow of runs and he is somebody who can be trusted with eyes closed even when there is a low target to defend. Hence, he will definitely be somebody to look out for as the CPL progresses.

#4 Hasan Ali

The 2017 CT's Player of the Tournament was adjudged the Man of the Match on his CPL debut

Pakistan defied all odds to win the 2017 Champions Trophy by beating India in the final by 180 runs. One of the biggest reasons behind Pakistan’s win was the Man of the Tournament and leading wicket-taker Hasan Ali who with 13 wickets, also became the joint record holder for the most number of wickets in a single Champions Trophy tournament with Jerome Taylor in 2006.

Ali wasn’t initially selected in the CPL draft but he was later roped in by the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots as a replacement for Kieran Powell who is currently on international duty with the West Indies against England.

Hasan Ali had previously impressed in the Pakistan Super League where he helped the Peshawar Zalmi win the title by picking up 12 wicket at an economy rate of 7.12. Ali played in the Patriots’ tournament opener against the Guyana Amazon Warriors and bowled an impressive spell of 2/19 from his four overs which won him the Man of the Match award.

Having made an impressive start to the CPL, we can all expect the Champions Trophy’s best player to put on more impressive performances throughout the tournament.

#3 Mohammad Nabi

Nabi had a pretty decent start to his CPL career

One of the main reasons why Afghanistan are currently a full member of the ICC is their all-rounder and former captain Mohammad Nabi who is undoubtedly their finest cricketer at the moment. Nabi put in some really impressive performances during the Bangladesh Premier League where he helped the Chittagong Vikings reach the semi-finals by scoring 230 runs with the bat and picking up 19 wickets with the ball.

Nabi was also bought by the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL auction for 30 lakhs but played only three matches. He became the first Afghan player in the CPL when he was bought by the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots for $90,000 USD.

Nabi played the Patriots’ first match of the tournament against the Guyana Amazing Warriors and bowled a very economical spell of 0/17 from his four overs. He did not have much to offer with the bat as the match was already sealed by the time he came out to bat.

With a fairly decent performance on his CPL debut, Mohammad Nabi will definitely be somebody to look out for as the St. Kitts and Nevis will try to better their bottom-place finish from last year.

#2 Chris Morris

Morris can be a very useful player for the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots

The St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots have a very strong side this year with quite a few all-rounders in their arsenal, Chris Morris being one of them. Morris was one of the most expensive players of the CPL draft, being bought for a whopping $130,000 USD.

Morris has all the qualities that is key for a sought-after all-rounder. An aggressive middle-order batsman who can score quick runs in the slog overs and a more than handy seamer who can make the ball bounce in addition to being a very efficient bowler in the death overs, he is the real deal.

With the likes of Carlos Brathwaite and Mohammad Nabi already in the team, Morris was left out of the playing XI in the Patriots’ first match of the tournament and with both of them performing quite well in the first game, it won’t be an easy task for Morris to be selected in the playing XI. However, having been bought for such a huge sum, Morris will definitely play some matches for the Patriots and he could be a game-changing factor for them.

#1 Kane Williamson

The New Zealand skipper would be looking to put on a strong performance in the CPL

The New Zealand skipper played only 7 matches for the Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL but his performances were quite decent in those 7 games as he scored 256 runs at an impressive average of 42.66 and at an equally impressive strike rate of 151.47.

Following the IPL, Williamson was the only positive from New Zealand’s negative Champions Trophy campaign as he scored 50+ in all of New Zealand’s matches, scoring a century in their tournament opener against Australia.

Williamson was bought by 2014 champions Barbados Tridents for a large sum of $130,000 USD in the CPL draft and also played in their league opener against defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs. However, his performance with the bat was poor as he scored only 13 from 20 deliveries. During the target defence, Williamson took two catches- one to dismiss Tallawahs captain Kumar Sangakkara and the other (a boundary line diving catch) to dismiss Rovman Powell as the Tridents won the match by 12 runs.

Williamson may have performed poorly in his opening game of the CPL but knowing the kind of player he is, he cannot be written off and will be expected to be one of the most crucial players for the Barbados Tridents as the League progresses.