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The inaugural edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) was played in 2013 and since then, the various island franchises have produced some outstanding players.
These players have not only excelled in the CPL but also in leagues around the globe, making a name for themselves as some of the most exciting T20 globe-trotters around the world.
With cricket aficionados eager to watch some live cricket on their screens, CPL 2020 will be the first major league to feature stars from across the globe since the lockdown began. Starting on August 18, all matches of the CPL will be played in Trinidad & Tobago behind closed doors, given the dangers posed by the coronavirus.
With this edition of the tournament set to play host to some exciting action, we take a trip down memory lane to list out five batsmen who have scored the most runs in CPL history.
5. Chadwick Walton (1779 runs)
Chadwick Walton is famous for his response to Kesrick Williams' notebook celebration. The 35-year-old is fifth in the list of all-time run-getters in CPL. Walton had an excellent 2017 season with Guyana Amazon Warriors scoring 458 runs from 12 matches.
However, the last two seasons have not gone well for the wicketkeeper-batsman, scoring just 367 runs in 22 matches at an average of 17. This includes a 36-ball 73-run knock, in a losing cause against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots as they chased down 242 with an over to spare.
He was part of the CPL-winning Jamaica Tallawahs team in 2013 and 2017. Although the Jamaican moved to Guyana Amazon Warriors after a lucrative contract offer in 2017, the Tallawahs franchise bought him back in 2019.
4. Johnson Charles (1842 runs)
Representing Barbados Tridents, Johnson Charles is coming off a fantastic season with the bat in 2019. He was the top-scorer for his franchise with 415 runs at a strike rate of 122.4. This his second-best performance after the 2016 season when he scored 441 runs at a strike rate of 143.2.
Charles is one of the most experienced players in his team's top-order, and is a mainstay of the side.
Previously, Johnson Charles represented his home franchise, St Lucia Stars, for the first four CPL seasons starting from 2013. He moved to Jamaica Tallawahs later before joining Barbados Tridents in 2019.
3. Andre Fletcher (1870 runs)
The top-order batsman from Grenada has been quite consistent over the years for the St Lucia franchise. Fletcher scored over 250 runs at an average of over 30 in all the seasons from 2015 till 2018. He managed to maintain a strike rate of over 120 as well, except in 2016.
However, the 2019 season did not go too well for St Lucia Zouks batsman. He scored only 184 runs from 10 matches at a below-par strike rate of 115.7. Fletcher would be looking to bounce back and make a good contribution in the upcoming season.
2. Lendl Simmons (2080 runs)
Lendl Simmons is a veteran in both CPL as well as T20 internationals. The top-order batsman has been a team hopper in the CPL, representing five clubs over 7 years.
He was picked up by his home franchise Trinbago Knight Riders in 2019. Lendl Simmons is coming off an outstanding 2019 CPL season. He managed to score 430 runs for the TKR side at a strike rate of 150.3. He scored 5 half-centuries from 11 innings as well.
His seven years in the CPL have seen him accumulate 2080 runs, the second-highest in the history of the tournament.
1. Chris Gayle (2354 runs)
A list of batting records without the Universe Boss is hard to imagine. And it should not be a surprise for anyone that Chris Gayle sits at the top of the list of run-scorers in the CPL.
The southpaw has scored 2354 runs at an average of nearly 40 and a strike rate of 133.44 playing for Jamaica Tallawahs and later for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, before returning to the Tallawahs.
The last season did not go well for Gayle compared to the standards he has set. He managed to score only 243 runs from 10 innings. This included a knock of 116 runs off 62 balls against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
Chris Gayle, who holds the record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket, has unfortunately announced his unavailability for the 2020 edition of CPL due to personal reasons. The Jamaican was supposed to play for the St Lucia Zouks in the 2020 edition of CPL.
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