CPL 2020: 5 uncapped players to watch out for
The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has been a witness to a number of veterans weaving magic. Since 2013, the T20 tournament hasn’t been short of entertainment by any stretch of the imagination. The upcoming edition of the CPL will be starting on August 18 in Trinidad.
Last year’s runners-up Guyana Amazon Warriors and the Trinbago Knight Riders are set to lock horns in the opening match. Apart from the big names, eyes will also be on quite a few youngsters and uncapped players. The newbies can well end up being game-changers for their respective franchises.
Let’s take a look five uncapped players who will have eyes on them in CPL 2020:
Nyeem Young – Barbados Tridents
Nyeem Young was one of West Indies’ star performers in the 2020 edition of the U19 World Cup in South Africa. The Barbados-born showed how lethal he can be, both with the bat and ball. In the first two games against England and Australia, Young scored 127 runs and also got a five-wicket haul.
The 19-year-old is slowly, but surely coming up the ranks. He has already been picked to play for the Barbados Tridents, the 2019 champions. The fact that he will play under Jason Holder can do a world of good for him. Being a talented all-rounder, Young looks a bright prospect in Caribbean cricket.
Joshua de Silva – St Kitts and Nevis Patriots
Joshua de Silva hasn’t made his T20 debut yet, but that he is talented can’t be denied by any means. The 22-year-old already has a couple of centuries and six half-centuries at the domestic level. The right-handed batsman came to limelight in West Indies’ recently-concluded tour of England.
In one of the intra-squad games, he managed scores of 133* and 56*, giving a glimpse of his stupendous potential. De Silva is set to be a part of St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. If the batter gets a chance in the star-studded batting lineup, Joshua will be looking to grab them with both hands.
Chemar Holder – St Lucia Zouks
Chemar Holder made his T20 debut for Barbados Tridents in 2018 but didn’t get much of a chance for the Jason Holder-led unit. In four T20s, he got three wickets but had an expensive economy of 10.07. However, in first-class and List A cricket, the 22-year-old has a combined tally of 114 wickets.
Holder recently went to England for the three-match Test series, though he didn’t play the matches. The Young Turk will now be plying his trade for the St Lucia Zouks, who have strained to qualify for the playoffs in the event. Going by his numbers, Holder seems to have a bright future in the offing.
Anderson Phillip – Trinbago Knight Riders
Along with Holder, Anderson Phillip was a part of the Caribbean squad for the England tour. But even he had to warm the benches. The 23-year-old made his CPL debut as a teenager, representing the Trinbago Knight Riders back in 2016. However, his T20 career hasn’t quite taken off as of now.
In 12 matches, the youngster has picked up only eight wickets at an economy of 10.14. However, as he has 68 wickets from 23 matches, combining first-class and List A cricket, Phillip can’t be undermined by any means. He will again be playing for TKR and will be hoping for more chances.
Ramaal Lewis – Jamaica Tallawahs
Ramaal Lewis made his T20 debut for the Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2019 CPL itself and he didn’t flatter to deceive. Though his team huffed and puffed throughout the tournament, the 23-year-old silently did his job. In seven matches, the young right-arm off-spinner picked up only five wickets.
Most importantly, he bowled at an economy of 7.33, much lower to that of Andre Russell, Jerome Taylor and Oshane Thomas, who all leaked runs with economy rates in the 9s and 10s. Lewis also gave a decent account of himself with the bat, scoring 76 runs with a top score of 37*, striking at 138.18.
