Aussie pace legend and SportsAdda brand ambassador Brett Lee is as excited as the rest of us for the eighth season of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) to get underway on August 18 to mark the return of T20 cricket at the franchise level.
To that end, 'Binga' pegged Trinbago Knight Riders, Jamaica Tallawahs, Barbados Tridents and Guyana Amazon Warriors to make it to the top four and among them, he picked the Knight Riders to stand tallest when the Caribbean dust settles.
With Brett having made his choice, we do a brief analysis of the Knight Riders as they attempt to go one better over last year and clinch a record fourth CPL title.
The Knight Riders are three-time CPL champions, having won it in 2015, 2017 and 2018, while finishing either third or fourth in the other seasons, and have yet to ever miss reaching the qualifiers.
And this year's Kieron Pollard-led squad is quite a potent one as well, thanks to the rich talent laced within the team.
Players such as Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Lendl Simmons, Sunil Narine, Colin Munro, Tim Seifert, Darren Bravo and Sikandar Raza are all highly accomplished in the shortest format.
Darren Simmons was the second-highest scorer last season, picking up 430 runs from 12 matches at an enviable strike-rate of 150, while skipper Pollard was the fifth-highest run-getter with 349 from 12 matches at 58.16, at a formidable strike-rate of 159.36.
Their bowling attack could prove to be their undoing though, as Sunil Narine, who Brett picked as one of his two top wicket-takers, and to some extent, Dwayne Bravo, are the only ones that can be considered genuine threats.
However, new to the CPL this year and no doubt drawing considerable subcontinental support will be leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, who became the first Indian player to be signed up by a CPL team.
Pravin Tambe joins the @TKRiders for the 2020 season. How important can the veteran leggie be for the Knight Riders? #CPLDraft
— CPL T20 (@CPL) July 6, 2020
Watch the draft show - https://t.co/VWl1E7iuNo pic.twitter.com/JLCddgE3ym
The 48-year-old veteran has played for IPL teams Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad and had even secured a contract for IPL 2020 with Kolkata Knight Riders. However, he was disqualified by the IPL's governing council for participating in the T10 league in the UAE. No doubt the Knight Riders will be counting on Tambe to impart some crucial variety into their bowling attack.
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Feature image courtesy: Facebook / @TrinbagoKnightRiders
