3 RR players from IPL 2023 who will play for Barbados Royals in CPL 2023

The Barbados Royals, sister franchise of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), will be keen to go one step better than last year in the 2023 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season, which will commence on August 17.

The squads for the upcoming season were announced on June 30, with the player draft seeing the six franchises making their signings for the tournament's 11th edition. The most notable acquisition made by the Royals prior to the draft was that of Rovman Powell, who led the Jamaica Tallawahs to the title last year.

Maheesh Theekshana, Roelof van der Merwe and Rassie van der Dussen headline their overseas signings, while fast bowler Akeem Jordan and exciting batter Alick Athanaze were among the key acquisitions at the draft.

The Barbados Royals will certainly hope to fare better than RR did earlier this year. The Sanju Samson-led side finished fifth on the IPL 2023 points table despite getting off to a roaring start in the first half of the season.

There are some common names to both sister franchises, though. Three players in the Barbados Royals squad for CPL 2023 also happened to turn out for RR in IPL 2023. Here's a look into the same:

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#1 Jason Holder

It's been a tough few months for Jason Holder, who is part of the West Indies side that was ousted from the race for the 2023 World Cup on Saturday, July 1. He was picked up by the Rajasthan Royals ahead of IPL 2023 and was expected to play a crucial role as the side's lead all-rounder.

Even though Holder made a promising start, it seemed as though the think-tank wasn't sure of how to get the best out of him. He ended up with just four wickets from eight outings while not making his presence felt with the bat. Holder was also swapped out of the XI on a horse-for-course basis at times, with Adam Zampa getting the nod on a slow surface.

Holder will turn out for the Barbados Royals in CPL 2023, having been associated with the franchise since the tournament's inception in 2013. He also led them to their second title in 2019, when they were still known as the Barbados Tridents.

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#2 Obed McCoy

Injuries have come in the way of what has been a promising career so far for Obed McCoy. The left-arm seamer carries a reputation for being a reliable death-overs option and has put his best foot forward for whichever team he has turned out for so far, including the West Indies.

McCoy was signed by RR ahead of the 2022 season of the IPL and left his mark in the death overs on a regular basis. He played a solitary game for them in IPL 2023, however, where he was bizarrely brought in as an impact substitute to bowl a solitary over.

It was McCoy's first game since the T20 World Cup, having been sidelined with injury. As the Barbados Royals' frontline death bowler for CPL 2023, he will have a massive role to play if the team is to go one step further than last year and lift the cup.

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#3 Donovan Ferreira

When the Joburg Super Kings (JSK) went all out for little-known Donovan Ferreira at the SA20 auction last year, they caused quite a stir. It became quite obvious why they did so in their tournament opener as Ferreira's single-handed effort rescued his team from the doldrums before they posted a match-winning total.

Ferreira is a fearsome ball-striker, and no boundary rope is big enough for him around the world. Apart from being a wicket-keeper, he can also send down tidy overs of off-spin while being a very good fielder.

RR clearly spotted all of this when they bought him at a bargain price for IPL 2023. He didn't get a game there but will be looking to leave his mark in CPL 2023, with the Barbados Royals also swooping in to avail his services.

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Do the Barbados Royals have the squad that can go the distance in CPL 2023? Have your say in the comments section below!

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