Trinbago Knight Riders have responded to last year’s failed campaign by signing Twenty20 mega stars Andre Russell and Nicholas Pooran for the upcoming edition of the Caribbean Premier League.
Russell will join West Indies’ whiteball captain Kieron Pollard and his deputy Pooran at Trinbago Knight Riders to make the franchise a daunting prospect for opposing bowlers. Sunil Narine has also been retained by the franchise, making it a star-studded pre-draft core already.
Notably, this will be the first time in the history of the CPL that Russell and Pollard will be playing together for the same franchise. Russell is currently playing for the other Knight Riders franchise – Kolkata – at the IPL in India.
The Riders will, however, be without Darren Bravo, as he will link up with his elder brother Dwayne Bravo at St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, who won their maiden title last year. The Bravo brothers had previously played together for Knight Riders.
Among other major signings, big hitting allrounder Fabian Allen went from Patriots to Tallawahs and opening batter Brandon King from Warriors to Tallawahs. Rovman Powell, who walloped a 51-ball T20I century earlier this year, and Kennar Lewis, the latest West Indies T20 globetrotter on the block, were among those retained by Tallawahs.
Allrounder Keemo Paul, meanwhile, returned to Amazon Warriors after having been part of St Lucia Kings last season.
Left-arm fingerspinner Gudakesh Motie, who made his T20I debut for West Indies in December last year in Pakistan, is the other new signing at Warriors. He will join Shimron Hetmyer, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd and Chandrapaul Hemraj.
Barbados Royals retained Jason Holder and Hayden Walsh Jr, who is currently with Rajasthan Royals as a net bowler in India. Obed McCoy, who was part of the Kings roster last season, will turn out for Royals in the forthcoming season. The left-arm seamer also features in Royals’ squad in the IPL. Wicketkeeper-batter Devon Thomas has also moved from Patriots to Royals. Thomas recently opened the batting with Kennar Lewis for Kandy Warriors in the Sri Lanka Premier League.
Royals – previously Barbados Tridents – finished rock bottom last season after winning just three of 10 games.
CPL 2022 is set to kick off on August 30 and the final will be held at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on September 30. This is the first time the CPL final will be held in Guyana and a long-term staging agreement means Guyana will also host the final in 2023 and 2024.
Pre-draft retentions and signings:
Barbados Royals: Jason Holder, Obed McCoy, Kyle Mayers, Hayden Walsh Jr, Devon Thomas, Oshane Thomas, Nayeem Young
Guyana Amazon Warriors: Shimron Hetmyer, Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Keemo Paul, Gudakesh Motie
Jamaica Tallawahs: Rovman Powell, Fabian Allen, Brandon King, Kennar Lewis, Shamarh Brooks
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: DJ Bravo, Darren Bravo, Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Sherfane Rutherford, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes
Saint Lucia Kings: Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Kesrick Williams, Alzarri Joseph, Mark Deyal, Jeavor Royal
Trinbago Knight Riders: Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Nicholas Pooran, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Tion Webster
Mega CPL 2022 Franchise Moves!
