Jamaica Tallawahs, who finished at the bottom of the points table with just two wins from ten games last year, will be looking to rebuild when they take the field for the upcoming edition of the Caribbean Premier League that starts from August 18, 2020. The franchise retained four West Indian players and one overseas player – Glenn Phillips during the draft for CPL 2020.
With new signings like all-rounder Carlos Braithwaite, Nepalese leg spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and South African left arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamise along with Pakistan’s Asif Ali, the Tallawahs bear a new look for the eighth season of the tournament.
The players will be eager to turnaround the fortunes of the team, and here are three players who are expected to lead the charge.
1. Andre Russell
Undoubtedly the greatest match-winner in the world in the shortest format of the game, Russell will be expected to pitch in with a stellar showing.
The all-rounder was troubled with a knee injury last season, which meant that he could only play 5 games for the Tallawahs. However, he is nothing short of a beast in T20s, scoring runs at a strike rate of 174.16 in domestic leagues across the globe.
Russell had shown his abilities in the Indian Premier League last year while playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, blasting 510 runs at an astonishing strike rate of 204.82 besides picking up 11 wickets.
Taking the team home from improbable situations consistently and sending every ball out of the park in the death overs is what makes the cricketer a player to watch out for.
The 32-year old faces an average of 12 deliveries every T20 innings, in which he scores an average of 20.88 runs. What stands out is the boundary percentage – 75.20% of the runs that Russell scores come in boundaries.
With every boundary fetching extra points in the fantasy team, there is no doubt that the West Indian should be a must pick in your fantasy team for CPL 2020.
2. Sandeep Lamichhane
The cricketer made waves after he became the first cricketer from Nepal to bag a contract in the IPL at the age of just 17.
In an era where wrist spinners are greatly in demand, the leg spinner has managed to impress, picking up 105 wickets in domestic T20 games at an average of just 18.21 and an economy rate of less than 7.
With great control over his line and length and with the ability to flight the ball even if the batsman is in an attacking mood, Lamichhane has been able to leave his work in tournaments like the Big Bash League, the CPL, Pakistan Super League and the Global T20 League in Canada.
The fact that all the games in the CPL will be held at one venue due to the coronavirus pandemic will mean that the tracks will have considerable wear and tear as the competition progresses. Lamichhane, thus becomes a must have in your fantasy team.
3. Glenn Phillips
After a below-par domestic T20 and international season in 2017-18 where Glenn Phillips was unable to score more than 25 runs in eight innings, the batsman came roaring back to form with a fine CPL in 2018.
Turning out for the Tallawahs, Phillips scored 457 runs in 11 innings with the help of a century at a strike rate of 146.9.
The fine performance continued last year as well, where he amassed 374 runs from 10 games to emerge as the only bright spark in an otherwise dismal season for the franchise.
The big-hitter opens the innings for his team, which allows him the entire 20 overs to leave a mark. He also earns vital fantasy points as the wicket-keeper of the team, and, hence, he remains a must include in the fantasy side for the upcoming CPL.
