The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is considered one of the biggest parties in sports. Whenever you witness a CPL game, the atmosphere in the ground clearly suggests that the crowd enjoys their time out irrespective of the result of the match. As the cricketing standard has raised to a whole new level, the party in the crowd has also grown over the years.
The 12th season of the CPL has seen its fair share of drama and action with the batters ruling the roost for the early part of the competition. Most of the pitches so far have produced high-scoring matches barring a few exceptions. The Barbados Royals and the Guyana Amazon Warriors are the only two unbeaten teams in the tournament so far.
Over the years, several IPL stars have gone on to replicate their heroics in the CPL. An impressive showing in the CPL has also paved the way for the West Indies players to make a case for themselves in the IPL. The Royals who won their third match earlier today (Thursday) against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons have quite a few players who have played in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
They have as many as three common players who have also represented the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL. Having said that, here is the list of three current/former LSG players who are part of the Barbados Royals squad in the 2024 CPL.
#3 Naveen-ul-Haq
The Afghanistan fast bowler has transformed himself into a top-class swing bowler who has a variety of slower deliveries up his sleeve. Naveen also has the ability to consistently hit the blockhole. He is plying trade for the Barbados Royals in the ongoing edition of the CPL. Naveen bagged a couple of wickets against the Falcons but conceded 34 runs off his three overs.
Notably, the fast bowler is also part of the Lucknow Super Giants squad in the IPL. He was roped in by LSG ahead of the 2023 season. He played eight matches in 2023 and his arby bargy with Virat Kohli after a match against RCB gained a lot of traction.
Despite the off-field fiasco, Naveen kept performing consistently for LSG. In 18 matches so far, Naveen has bagged 25 wickets at an average of 23.64. He had earlier represented the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL.
#2 Jason Holder
Lanky fast bowling all-rounder Jason Holder is an integral member of the Barbados Royals squad. He has been very loyal to the franchise and has represented them ever since the inception of the tournament. Holder was part of the 2014 winning squad and led the side during their triumph in 2019.
While Holder has been a distinguished figure in the West Indies circles, he has also plied his trade in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Holder was part of the Lucknow Super Giants in the 2022 seasons. He scalped 14 wickets for LSG but wasn't retained by the franchise.
Holder was snapped up by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2023 IPL season for INR 5.75 crores. Holder has also represented Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings in the past.
#1 Quinton de Kock
The swashbuckling wicket-keeper batter Quinton de Kock was bought by the Lucknow Super Giants ahead of the IPL 2022 season. Ever since he was released by the Mumbai Indians in 2021, QDK has represented the Super Giants. De Kock was at his stunning best in 2022, amassing 508 runs at a staggering strike rate of 148.97.
The last two seasons haven't been the greatest from De Kock’s point of view but LSG might be tempted to retain the southpaw ahead of the mega auctions for IPL 2025. One of the supreme strikers of the ball, De Kock also holds the key for the Barbados Royals.
He started the ongoing CPL with a brilliant knock of 87* off 45 deliveries. He fell just short of a well-deserved half-century against the Falcons earlier today but laid the platform for a 10-run win under DLS method.
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