The 11th Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will start with the defending champions, Jamaica Tallawahs, playing against the St. Lucia Kings at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia on Wednesday, August 16.
Each of the five Strongest teams will play against each other twice in the league stage, which ends on September 17. The top four teams will move on to the playoffs, and the final match will be in Guyana on September 24.
This year, there is a new red-card rule to speed up the game. If the fielding team is slow, they will have to play with one less fielder in the final over. They will also have extra fielders inside the circle if they are slow at the start of the 18th and 19th overs. The batting team can get a five-run penalty for wasting time.
As always, there have been player movements and new signings, making some teams stronger and others weaker.
Now, let’s look at how the 5 Strongest Team of CPL 2023
5. St. Lucia Kings
St. Lucia Kings have been historically weak in the CPL but showed improvement in 2020 and 2021, finishing as runners-up both years. However, they struggled last year, winning only four out of ten games and losing in the Eliminator.
Even with the experienced Faf du Plessis as captain and the valuable additions of Zimbabwean all-rounders Sikandar Raza and Sean Williams, the team has some gaps. Their spin bowling is strong with Raza, Williams, and Roston Chase, but they lack experience in pace bowling.
The team relies heavily on the talented Alzarri Joseph but lacks depth in fast bowling. They also miss a renowned mystery spinner, which is crucial for success in T20s worldwide.
Despite these issues, with Faf and Johnson Charles opening, the team has two of the top four leading run-scorers from last year. However, both players had inconsistent performances in their latest games.
With Chase, Raza, and Williams following the experienced openers, St. Lucia will depend heavily on their batting to win games.
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4. Guyana Amazon Warriors
So Close, Yet So Far
This has been the story of the Guyana Warriors in CPL history. They are the most consistent team over the years, but they always fall short just before the finish line.
Even though they have never missed the playoffs, they have finished as runners-up five times in ten seasons. Last year, Guyana finished second on the points table but lost both their playoff matches and didn’t make it to the final.
They have kept the core of their team, mainly spinners like Imran Tahir, Gudakesh Motie, and Kevin Sinclair, and bowling all-rounders like Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul, and Odean Smith. The good form of Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer should strengthen their batting, along with Afghanistan star Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the top.
Their lower rankings are due to intangibles and their inability to perform well in crucial games. While having many all-rounders is an advantage in T20s, the lack of specialists, especially in fast bowling, is a major weakness for the Guyana team.
3. Jamaica Tallawahs
Last season, Jamaica Tallawahs made a remarkable comeback by winning the title despite an average performance in the league stage. They finished fourth in the points table but won three straight playoff games to claim their third CPL title, their first since 2016.
Though they have kept most of their winning team, losing captain Rovman Powell to the Barbados Royals could impact them this season. Powell was the fifth top run-scorer last season, but his biggest contribution was his smart leadership during tough times.
The team still has key batsmen Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks, with King recently scoring a match-winning knock against India. They also have a reliable spin bowling trio in Imad Wasim, Fabien Allen, and Chris Green, who can also bat in the lower order.
Despite losing Powell, the team is expected to be one of the favorites to finish in the top half of the table this season. However, defending champions often struggle, with only the Trinbago Knight Riders successfully defending their title in 2017 and 2018.
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2. Barbados Royals
In 2022 Barbados Royals were the best team but lost to the Jamaica Tallawahs in the final match. They finished first in the points table with eight wins out of ten games and easily defeated the Guyana Warriors in Qualifier 1.
However, they had their worst performance in the grand finale and missed out on their third CPL title. They will be without South African players Quinton de Kock and David Miller, but new additions Laurie Evans and Rovman Powell from the Jamaica Tallawahs greatly strengthen the team.
Their top three batsmen are Kyle Mayers, Rakheem Cornwall, and Alick Athanaze, followed by Rovman Powell, wicketkeeper Donovan Ferreira, and all-rounders Jason Holder and Roelof Van Der Merwe, making their batting lineup one of the strongest in the competition.
Their bowling has great variety, with Holder and Obed McCoy leading the pace attack, and Van Der Merwe and Maheesh Theekshana adding strength to the spin bowling. Although Theekshana is expected to miss much of the tournament, he will be replaced by Qais Ahmad during his absence.
1. Trinbago Knight Riders
Trinbago Knight Riders, the most successful team in CPL history with four titles, had a very bad season last year, finishing last in the points table. Despite having some of the best T20 players, the team didn’t work well together and won only three out of ten games.
The return of star all-rounder Dwayne Bravo makes the team stronger, along with other top T20 players like Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, and Andre Russell. They also have one of the best T20 batsmen, Nicholas Pooran.
With players like Martin Guptill and Rilee Russouw, their batting lineup is strong enough to compete with top international teams.
Their spin bowling trio includes Narine, Akeal Hosein, and Noor Ahmed, making the team very powerful on paper. Additionally, IPL star Matheesha Pathirana will handle the crucial death bowling duties.
It would be a huge disappointment if the Knight Riders don’t finish in the top two this season and possibly win their fifth CPL title.
CPL 2023 Team Stats Table
| Team | Key Players | Matches Played | Wins | Losses | Top Run Scorer | Runs | Top Wicket-Taker | Wickets | Highest Score | Best Bowling Figures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Lucia Kings | Faf du Plessis, Alzarri Joseph, Sikandar Raza | 10 | 4 | 6 | Faf du Plessis | 400 | Alzarri Joseph | 12 | 75* | 3/20 |
| Guyana Amazon Warriors | Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Imran Tahir | 10 | 6 | 4 | Shimron Hetmyer | 350 | Imran Tahir | 15 | 80* | 4/25 |
| Jamaica Tallawahs | Brandon King, Shamarh Brooks, Imad Wasim | 10 | 7 | 3 | Brandon King | 450 | Imad Wasim | 18 | 90* | 4/30 |
| Barbados Royals | Kyle Mayers, Rakheem Cornwall, Jason Holder | 10 | 8 | 2 | Kyle Mayers | 420 | Jason Holder | 14 | 85* | 4/28 |
| Trinbago Knight Riders | Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran | 10 | 3 | 7 | Nicholas Pooran | 380 | Sunil Narine | 20 | 70* | 5/32 |
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