IPL 2020: 5 CPL stars the franchises should target

Barbados Tridents defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors by 27 runs in the final of the Caribbean Premier League 2019 to snap the Warriors’ unbeaten streak in the tournament.

Electing to bat first after winning the toss, the Tridents seemed down and out at 90 for 5 in the 13th over. However, Jonathan Carter smashed an undefeated 50 from 27 balls with four fours and as many sixes to turn the final on its head, and lift the batting side to an impressive 171 for 6.

In reply, the Warriors crumbled under the pressure of the big day. Like the Tridents, they too found themselves in similar strife at 88 for 5. However, there was no Carter-type innings to resurrect them.

The in-form Brandon King top-scored with 43, but Raymon Reifer’s 4 for 24 and two wickets apiece from Harry Gurney and Ashley Nurse consigned the Warriors to defeat.

CPL 2019 saw lot of impressive performances from a number of players across teams. Here, we take a look at five cricketers from the tournament that IPL franchises can target in the upcoming auction.

#5 Raymon Reifer (Barbados Tridents)

Raymon Reifer

The left-arm medium fast bowler and lower order bat had a memorable CPL 2019 with 14 wickets in 11 games at a strike rate of 12.6 and an economy rate of 7.76. He finished the season with a bowling average of 16.35, reserving his best for the final, in which he claimed 4 for 24.

Barbados Tridents were defending a target of 172 in the final, and Reifer dealt the opponents a series of key blows. He dismissed Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd and Chris Green.

Earlier, he came up with an impressive all-round showing in the second Qualifier against Trinbago Knight Riders, first making an unbeaten 24 from 18 balls and then picking up 2 for 13 with the ball.

Reifer displayed his big-hitting skills in game number 25 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, where he made 34 from 18 before being run out. Before that, in the 20th match against Jamaica Tallawahs, he blasted 26 from 12 deliveries.

Reifer has featured in 43 T20 games, and has 39 wickets at a strike rate of 14.1. With the bat, he has managed 533 runs at a strike rate of 107.67, with two fifties.

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#4 Rahkeem Cornwall (St. Lucia Zouks)

St Lucia Zouks v Jamaica Tallawahs - 2019 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL)

The bulky all-rounder, who often makes news for his weight, showed again in CPL 2019 that he is a genuine talent, and that he deserves to be in the limelight for his on-field performances. In 10 matches, Rahkeem Cornwall scored 254 runs at an impressive strike rate of 190.97, with two fifties. He struck 25 fours and 20 sixes during the course of the tournament.

Cornwall’s best score of 75 came from only 30 balls in the 9th match of CPL 2019 against Jamaica Tallawahs. The sizzling innings featured as many as eight sixes.

In the 24th match of the tournament, again against the same opponent, Cornwall slammed 51 from 25 balls, this time with four fours and five sixes. He wasn’t as successful with the ball though, going wicket-less in most of the games.

In his 41-match T20 career, Cornwall has 594 runs to his name at a strike rate of 151.91 with four fifties. He has also claimed 22 wickets at a strike rate of 25, with a best of 3 for 10.

#3 Jonathan Carter (Barbados Tridents)

Jonathan Carter

Jonathan Carter was nowhere close to the top run-getters. He finished CPL 2019 with 218 runs from 11 innings at a reasonable strike rate of 127.48, with two fifties and a highest of 51, which came in the match against Trinbago Knight Riders. However, he delivered when it mattered the most - in the final.

With his team in all sorts of trouble at 108 for 6, with only about five overs to go, Carter played the knock that swung the momentum of the summit clash in Barbados Tridents' favour. With the innings Carter proved that he loves the big occasion, which is a rare quality that IPL franchises keeping looking for in players during the auctions.

In 87 T20 matches, Carter has 1,452 runs to his name at a strike rate of 108.76 with one hundred and seven fifties, and a highest of 111 not out. He has also claimed six wickets with his part-time medium pace.

#2 Brandon King (Guyana Amazon Warriors)

Brandon King

Brandon King will be absolutely gutted with the result of the final. He did everything possible to help Guyana Amazon Warriors lift the title, and was in a big part responsible for their unbeaten run to the final. Alas, ultimate glory was to evade King.

In 12 innings, King amassed 496 runs at a superb strike rate of 148.94, with one hundred and three fifties and an excellent average of 55.11. In Qualifier 1 against eventual winners Tridents, King blasted an unbeaten 132 from only 72 balls with 10 fours and as many as 11 sixes, to lead them to a 30-run triumph.

Earlier in the tournament, he registered three consecutive fifties with scores of 59, 51 not out and 81 not out. He also made 43 in the final, but fell when the team needed him to carry on all the way.

Overall, King has featured in 30 T20 games, and has 763 runs to his name at a strike rate of 136.98.

#1 Hayden Walsh Jr (Barbados Tridents)

Hayden Walsh Jr

Hayden Walsh Jr, the 27-year-old leg spinner from USA, took CPL 2019 by storm. He finished the season as the top wicket-taker and also had the best figures in an innings. As a result of the fine performances he was named player of the series.

In nine CPL 2019 matches, Walsh picked up 22 wickets at a strike rate of 9.1 and an average of 12.68. He conceded runs at 8.28, but made up for it with wickets consistently, finishing with one five-for and one four-wicket haul.

Walsh claimed 5 for 19 in the 23rd match of the tournament against Trinbago Knight Riders, and 4 for 26 a couple of matches later against St. Lucia Zouks. He kept chipping in with scalps in other games as well.

Even in the final, where he went for 23 in 2 overs, he got the big wicket of opposition skipper Shoaib Malik.

Walsh has featured in 19 T20 games, and has 28 wickets to his name at an average of 16.17 and a strike rate of 12.1.