5 young West Indies talents to watch out for in CPL 2024 ft. Matthew Forde

The 12th edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is slated to get underway on Thursday, August 29, with a match between newcomers Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, and St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in North Sound, Antigua.

The Falcons replace the Jamaica Tallawahs - the 2013, 2016 and 2022 champions - in this season of the tournament and will hope to get off to a good start on their home ground.

This tournament has consistently thrown up exciting young West Indian talents for the world to see; these players have rubbed shoulders with some of the best T20 cricketers in the world. The same is expected this season as well.

In this listicle, we take a look at five young West Indies talents to watch out for in CPL 2024:

#1 Jewel Andrew (Antigua and Barbuda Falcons)

Jewel Andrew of West Indies bats during the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup South Africa 2024 Super Six match between Sri Lanka and West Indies at Diamond Oval on January 30, 2024 in Kimberley, South Africa.

Young wicketkeeper-batter Jewel Andrew is one of the players to watch out for in this edition of the CPL. Turning out for the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, Andrew is expected to be safe hands behind the stumps.

The 17-year-old has already played for the West Indies Under-19s and will hope to benefit from the experience of playing in the Antigua dressing room which is filled with superstars.

Andrew will learn a lot from the likes of Sam Billings and Brandon King and hope to become a better cricketer and person by the end of the tournament. Having played in eight first-class and three List-A games, Andrew is ready for the CPL.

#2 Nathan Sealy (Barbados Royals)

Another West Indies Under-19 cricketer is on this list of ours - Nathan Sealy. The 19-year-old was a part of the side that participated in the ICC U-19 World Cup held in South Africa earlier this year.

Sealy is an excellent all-rounder, who can contribute with both the bat and the ball. A handy lower-order batter, he can also bowl good left-arm orthodox spin and pitch the ball in the right areas to trouble opposition batters consistently.

#3 Matthew Nandu (Guyana Amazon Warriors)

Matthew Nandu of Guyana Amazon Warriors bats during the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League T20 match between Guyana Amazon Warriors and Jamaica Tallawahs.

Left-handed batter Matthew Nandu, who represents the Guyana Amazon Warriors, is another exciting young talent to watch out for in CPL 2024. The son of former first-class cricketer Arjune Nandu, Matthew has already played in 13 first-class games.

Although he did not get too many opportunities for the Warriors last season, the 21-year-old will be keen on making a good showing when he gets his chances this year. He is not in good form coming into the CPL, but will hope to change that soon.

#4 Shaqkere Parris (Trinbago Knight Riders)

Trinbago Knight Riders, who have a brilliant side at their disposal, will hope to give young Shaqkere Parris an opportunity as well. The latter is a fresh talent who will hope to make the most of any opportunity sent his way.

Having played just two first-class and five List-A games for the Combined Campuses and Colleges so far, the 21-year-old might not be ready for the big stage yet. However, he is an extremely promising batter and deserves a chance.

#5 Matthew Forde (Saint Lucia Kings)

Matthew Forde is among the most exciting young talents to watch out for in the CPL this season. The pacer has already played in four ODIs and five T20Is for the Windies so far, and looks all set to have a long career in international cricket.

Forde was quite effective for the West Indies in their T20I series against South Africa at home recently, and ended up with five wickets in the three games that he played, including a 3-27 in the first game of the series in Tarouba, Trinidad.

In the two seasons that he has played for the Saint Lucia Kings in the CPL, Forde has amassed a total of 15 wickets to his name at an economy of 6.70, which is highly impressive given the slam-bang nature of this tournament.