CPL 2020: 5 spin bowlers to watch out for
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is the first major domestic tournament to get underway amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The event will start on August 18 and the matches will take place at two venues in Trinidad as a precautionary measure, bearing in mind how contagious the virus has been.
As far as the tournament is concerned, fast bowlers are leading the charts in the wickets column. But in the last two seasons, the spinners have spewed equal venom. Even this time around, the CPL will be a witness to quite a few talented tweakers plying their trade with expertise.
Let’s take a look at five spinners to watch out for in CPL 2020:
Sandeep Lamichhane- Jamaica Tallawahs
Sandeep Lamichhane played a decent hand for Barbados Tridents in the 2019 CPL. The Nepal sensation picked up eight wickets from six games at an economy of 6.50, the lowest among all the Tridents’ bowlers. But the young leg-spinner will now be plying his trade for the Jamaica Tallawahs.
Earlier, the Tallawahs let go of Afghanistan’s Zahir Khan Pakteen, who was effective for them last season. In his T20 career, Lamichhane has an economy of 6.92 and has picked up 105 wickets. It shows that apart from making breakthroughs, Sandeep is also capable of keeping the batters in check.
Rashid Khan- Barbados Tridents
Rashid Khan has experience of playing in the CPL, having earlier represented the Guyana Amazon Warriors. But this time around, he will be playing for Tridents, the 2019 Champions. The 21-year-old has been unstoppable and has already played for a plethora of teams across the cricket world.
Picking up 296 wickets in his T20 career thus far, it can be said that Rashid is well on his way to becoming the leading wicket-taker in the format in a few years. The Tridents might have released Lamichhane but Rashid’s inclusion can give headaches to the best of batsmen in the tournament.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman- Jamaica Tallawahs
If Rashid is weaving magic with his leg-spin, his Afghanistan teammate Mujeeb Ur Rahman isn’t far behind by any means. He has been playing in the format for the last three years and has 115 wickets from 111 T20s. His economy of 6.73 suggests that the off-spinner is tough to get away from.
Mujeeb will now be turning out for the Tallawahs, who failed to qualify for the playoffs last time around. The Afghan spin prodigy will have Lamichhane along with him in the spin department. Whether Jamaica will be able to make a comeback or not depends a lot on Mujeeb’s performance.
Chris Green- Guyana Amazon Warriors
Chris Green has been a part of the Warriors for the last two seasons and has been a major reason behind his team’s progression to the finals. The 26-year-old doesn’t impart many revs on the ball, yet manages to put a lid on the run-scoring. In 23 games, the youngster has picked as many wickets.
Green bowls in the powerplay and with an economy of 6.36, he has been a tough nut to crack. Not to undermine his batting prowess lower down the order. He also led the team when Shoaib Malik left the event midway in 2018. The onus will again be on him to deliver for them.
Hayden Walsh- Barbados Tridents
Hayden Walsh was a revelation for Tridents in the 2019 CPL. He played two matches for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in 2018 but tasted major success last year as he finished as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. In nine matches, Walsh churned out 22 wickets and was a brute force.
Earlier last year, he made his international debut for the USA, but then West Indies included him in the limited-overs teams. In 26 games, the St. Croix-born has 23 wickets with best figures of four for 46. The Tridents will again be pinning hopes on the 28-year-old, being the defending champions.
