CPL 2020: Know your team ft. Trinbago Knight Riders

The eighth season of the Caribbean Premier League is all set to begin on 18 August with Trinbago Knight Riders taking on Guyana Amazon Warriors. The three-time champions Trinbago Knight Riders start as one of the favorites for the upcoming season.

They will be the hosts for the entire season to limit traveling in the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Having finished third in 2019 after having won consecutive titles in 2017 and 2018, the Trinbago Knight Riders will be looking to build on their legacy.

The side known for high-profile domestic names, signed Australian leggie Fawad Ahmed, Kiwi wicket-keeper Tim Siefert and U-19 star Jayden Seales ahead of the eighth season of CPL. The draft saw them bring in Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza, 48-year old Pravin Tambe and Anderson Phillip.

Squad:

Retained: Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro (Overseas), Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Amir Jangoo, Tion Webster, Akeal Hosein, M Ali Khan (ICC Americas pick)

Signed: Fawad Ahmed (Overseas), Tim Seifert (Overseas), Jayden Seales.

Drafted: Sikandar Raza (Overseas), Pravin Tambe (Overseas), Anderson Phillip

Trinbago Knight Riders Strengths and Weaknesses

Trinbago Knight Riders are a batting powerhouse. Simmons and Narine, followed by Munro make a terrific top order. Simmons was the second highest run-getter last season and Munro surprisingly playing the second fiddle (with a strike-rate 127.62 as compared to 150.35 by Simmons).

Tim Seifert is an important addition, with the ability to float in the batting order. He might also need to perform the wicket-keeping duties. Skipper Pollard, the experienced Sikandar Raza and Dwayne Bravo coming in as the finishers makes TKR's lower middle order ominous. Quite easily one of the most formidable batting units this season.

Spin bowling is in safe hands too, with Narine leading the attack. Khary Pierre, Fawad Ahmed and Pravin Tambe are the other spinners in the squad, with Sikandar Raza being the batting all-rounder who bowls spin.

There is versatility in the spin department with two off-spinners in Narine and Raza, two left-arm orthodox spinners in Pierre and Hosein, and two wrist spinners in Fawad and Tambe.

The pace department, however, lacks experience and might be the area other teams will look to target against TKR. Jayden Seales is just coming off from the U-19 World Cup, M Ali Khan does not have much experience at the highest level and so does Anderson Phillip. Death bowling can be handled by Dwayne Bravo, but he has not been at his best in the past couple of years too.

Trinbago Knight Riders Probable First-Choice XI

Lendl Simmons, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Tim Seifert (wk), Kieron Pollard (c), Sikandar Raza, Dwayne Bravo, Khary Pierre, Fawad Ahmed, Jayden Seales, M Ali Khan