5 Indians who will do well if they play in the Caribbean Premier League

The Indian Premier League has had such a massive impact on T20 leagues all over the world that it seems only fair that the franchisees now want Indian stars in their squads to make sure that they deliver some of the best talent to the fans in their respective leagues.

Be it the Big Bash League in Australia or the CPL in West Indies, there’s a huge demand for Indian stars in different leagues all over the world.

And the demand for Indian players is not unfounded too. Can you imagine the IPL without Chris Gayle at the top of the RCB line-up or without Lasith Malinga to open the bowling attack for Mumbai Indians?

The by-laws in the Indian players’ contracts don’t permit them to play in any foreign league but here, we take the liberty of listing five of the best available Indian players who would have been a runaway success in the CPL.

#1 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is one batsman who would be the number one choice for any cricket league around the world, only if the BCCI would allow the Indian players to venture outside the subcontinent. For anyone living under a rock, Virat Kohli is undeniably the best batsman in the shortest format of the game especially after his exploits in 2016 when he almost single-handedly won India the T20 World Cup and dragged RCB into the finals of the Indian Premier League.

Recently, he managed to pull off one of the most incredible feats in the T20 format by stretching his average to over 50 and thereby becoming the only player with an average above 50 in all formats of the game.

He is also second on the list of most runs scored (4418) in the Indian league with an average of 37.44. He is only eclipsed by Suresh Raina.

#2 Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is one of the most dynamic T20 players in the world and that is reflected in his record as the number one run-scorer in IPL history. He’s not only a power-hitter but also a world-class fielder who adds to his reputation as a thorough MVP.

Raina has performed consistently in the IPL over a period of ten editions scoring 4540 runs in 161 matches and winning two titles in the process.

Despite a dip in form over the last couple of years, Raina still remains one of the most sought after players in the Indian subcontinent and some exposure in the CPL might have actually done him a world of good.

#3 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma

Most of us have a love-hate relationship with this Mumbai batsman but when it comes to the shortest format of the game, Sharma is some sort of a legend. And it’s not just his batting skills that are invaluable in this format; it’s his impeccable reading of the game that makes him the most successful captain in the IPL.

Although not a natural leader, Rohit Sharma’s leadership skills would be as much in demand as his top order craft. He has amassed more than 4000 runs in the Indian Premier League and he would be a value addition to any side in the Caribbean Premier League too.

#4 Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra

Many people would love to see Ravichandran Ashwin before Mishra in the CPL but sometimes reputation precedes performances and that is why we think it is Amit Mishra who would have trumped every other spinner in the Caribbean league.

Mishra is the most successful spin bowler in the Indian Premier League and that’s one of the reasons why three teams have poached him back and forth over the course of ten IPL editions.

He has an impressive 134 wickets to his name with an average of 24.33 and it would be interesting to see if he can emulate the success of Sunil Narine in the CPL.

#5 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The tracks in West Indies are not as fast as they used to be in the 1970s and 80s and that is why Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s right-arm medium pace could trouble a lot of squads in the Caribbean Premier League.

Not only does he have a knack of picking up wickets but he’s very economical too, which is virtual gold in the shortest format of the game. In the recent T20 game in West Indies, Kumar gave away just 27 runs in his stipulated four overs and that too when the rest of the bowling squad was being clobbered all over the park.

Kumar also has an impressive record in the IPL with 111 wickets in 90 games at an average of 21.07 and a strike rate of 17.8. Bhuvi would be on the shortlist of a number of CPL squads if and when the restrictions by the Indian board are relaxed.