5 players who earned a name for themselves through CPL

T20 leagues have become the de-facto stage for upcoming new talents and they often bring to fore future stars of international cricket. Be it Ravinder Jadeja, Chris Lynn or even Tabraiz Shamsi, over the years we have come to praise T20 talents from all over the world because of some local leagues.

The CPL, then, is no different and over the course of five seasons has delivered a number of upcoming stars, especially for the shortest format of the game.

Here, we take a look at some of the players who grabbed the opportunity and shot to fame in the Caribbean Premier League with of their impressive performances.

---

#5 Nicholas Pooran

Gearing up and making a comeback from an injury is a herculean task but what do you call a man who gets his ankle broken in a horrific car accident and yet makes it to the national squad just 18 months later? Nicholas Pooran.

Many of us know him as the mystery pick for Mumbai Indians in the IPL auctions but he’s very well known and revered in the CPL circles. Known as an equally destructive hitter in the company of T20 legends such as Chris Gayle, AB De Villiers and Kieron Pollard, Pooran is atop the next crop of power-hitters from West Indies.

Pooran made his CPL debut with Pollard’s Barbados Tridents, after being grabbed in the auctions at a price of $90,000. He proved his worth from the word go, amassing 33 runs in just 12 balls against Trinbago Knight Riders. Pooran was the third highest run-scorer for the Tridents in 2016 which included 18 sixes in just eight innings.

#4 Chadwick Walton

Chadwick Walton

Barbados Tridents are one of the most formidable teams in the CPL, having won the title in 2014 and making it to the finals in 2015. But back in 2016, one particular knock was responsible for breaking this incredible run of the Tridents in the Caribbean Premier League.

Chadwick Walton, the then 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman blunted the Tridents’ attack with a 97-run innings that knocked them out of the tournament. Walton’s hour long innings included nine fours and five sixes as he clobbered the bowlers all over the park.

He is amongst the most consistent players in the CPL and that is what made him a perfect draft for Guyana Amazon Warriors with a $110,000 contract.

#3 Tabraiz Shamsi

Tabraiz Shamsi

Tabraiz Shamsi, the South African chinaman bowler came into limelight when he was drafted in place of Samuel Badree after the latter reported an injury and could not take the field for RCB in IPL 9. But that was not his only ticket to fame.

Back in 2015, Shamsi made waves in CPL as he claimed 11 wickets in 7 games for St Kitts & Nevis at a stupendous average of just 13.27. Although the 27-year-old is famous for his spin variations, not many know that he loves to bat and is, in fact, a decent middle order batsman too.

#2 Kesrick Williams

Kesrick Williams

Kesrick Williams is an up and coming West Indian cricketer who plays for Jamaica Tallawahs in the CPL. His impressive show in last year’s Caribbean Premier League, where he scalped 17 wickets, earned him a call-up to the West Indian T20 squad. In his debut game against Pakistan, he took two wickets for just 15 runs and most recently against India, helped West Indies defend 189, railroading Dhoni in the process.

Williams rose to fame with a three-wicket maiden in the last season bowling against an impressive squad of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. This year, he’s the second highest wicket taker in T20Is and that just might be his ticket to IPL early next year.

#1 Rovman Powell

Rovman Powell

Rovman Powell is often called as Andre Russell Jr. and for good reason too. The Jamaica Tallawahs lad scored 228 runs in the last season with an average of 25 and a strike rate of almost 120. His hard hitting manners make him a potential superstar in the making and that is probably why he was fetched by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2017 players’ auction.

The Jamaican is quite handy as a right-arm fast medium too and that makes him a solid resource for any team that he plays for. It, however, remains to be seen whether he can turn this year’s CPL into a stepping stone for bigger tournaments in the future.