CPL 2017: 5 players to watch out for

The much-awaited cricket carnival of West Indies, Caribbean Premier League began on 04th August and once again it promises plenty of action and sterling entertainment.

The ongoing Test series between England and South Africa and India and Sri Lanka have exhibited some quality Test cricket but for the fans who love the pace and the drama of white-ball cricket, the CPL is the best option.

Launched in 2013, the CPL has gone from strength to strength and has become one of the most followed T20 tournaments across the globe. The key reason for the astounding success of this T20 carnival is the presence of big names. The CPL features some of the best cricketers from the world and has hence garnered immense popularity.

This year too, there are several top class cricketers playing in this T20 tournament. We take a look at the five cricketers whom the fans must watch out for.

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#5. Sohail Tanvir

Sohail Tanvir stirred the cricket world with his unconventional bowling action. His deceptive pace and sharp swing was one of the highlights of the inaugural T20 world cup in 2007.

However, with time his action was decoded and he lost his place from Pakistan's national team owing to inconsistent performances.

In the last few years, he has kept himself busy by featuring in various T20 leagues across the world and now, he is in the West Indies to represent the Guyana Amazon Warriors. What makes Tanvir a crucial player in this year's CPL is his contract price.

The left-arm bowler was purchased for $160,000 by the Guyana Warriors, which made him one of the costliest buys. And this staggering amount comes as no surprise as Tanvir was the second highest wicket-taker in the 2016 edition.

This year he will be Guayana'a ace bowling weapon and his battings skills are helpful as well. His performance could well determine the fate of his franchise. But will Tanvir be able to do justice with the money invested in him or will he crumble under the burden of extra pressure?

#4 Rashid Khan

Rashid's attacking leg-spin will be exciting to watch in CPL

The poster boy of Afghanistan cricket, Rashid Khan was one the talking points of the 2017 IPL. After claiming 17 wickets in 10 T20 internationals in 2017 at an average of 9.41, the leg-spinner bagged 17 wickets in 11 games at the IPL to boost his reputation as a perfect T20 cricketer.

He was signed for $ 60,000 by Guyana Amazon Warriors who are desperately looking for an attacking spinner. The skipper Martin Guptill has stated that he is eager to watch the leg-spinner bowl and has strong expectations from Rashid.

The CPL could be the final frontier for the young Afgan cricketer who is enjoying a highly successful 2017 so far.

#3 Kesrick Williams

Kesrick Williams is a serious bowling talent from West Indies

A promising pace bowler from West Indies, Kesrick Williams has all the ingredients to become a quintennial T20 bowler.

He bowls with sharp pace and has plenty of variations in his arsenal that keep the batsman guessing. Plus, pressure doesn't deter him from bowling according to the plan which makes him ideal for delivering overs in the death.

His potential was exhibited in the ODI against India at Antigua when he outfoxed MS Dhoni, arguably one of the best finishers in cricket, to defend a low total.

The pacer is currently the second highest wicket taker in T20Is in 2017 and hence a lot is expected from him in this edition's CPL. He will share the new ball with Krishmar Santokie and Oshane Thomas for the Jamaica Tallawahs and will be closely followed by the fans as well the scouts.

#2 Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara will hope to continue his purple patch of form into the CPL

It has been two years since Kumar Sangakkara retired from international cricket but he still remains that elegant and classy left-hand batsman who tormented bowling lineups through his impeccable strokes.

Earlier this year he scored more than thousand runs for Surrey with six hundreds and hence is looking in terrific touch. Jamaica Tallawahs will be expecting the Sri Lankan to carry his purple patch in the CPL as he is their premier middle-order batsmen.

The CPL features plenty of hard-hitters but Sangakkara's traditional and pleasant strokes will be a treat for the fans.

#1 Chris Gayle

Gayle will hope that a change of franchise will change his fortunes

From the last few months, Chris Gayle is struggling to score runs but that doesn't decrease his popularity among the fans or the fear he inflicts on the opposition. He still is T20 cricket's biggest superstar. Or as he calls himself, the 'Universal Boss'.

The highest run scorer in T20 cricket, Gayle is the one man force that can demolish, butcher, annihilate and completely wipe out any bowling artillery with his massive arms, powerful shoulders and impeccable timing. The pitch, conditions or the bowling style has no effect on him and if he gets set then he is unstoppable.

After representing Jamaica Tallawahs for four years, the left-hand batsman will be playing for St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots in this year's CPL. It will be interesting to see how he accommodates in the new franchise and everyone will be eager to see whether Gayle is able to break his bad patch of form of late.