A new season. A renewed squad. A fresh captain. Two-time champions Barbados Royals are all set to begin their CPL 2022 campaign, as they lock horns with defending champions St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in their opening match on Thursday.
Both teams have faced off on 14 occasions in the past, with the Patriots leading the head-to-head with 10 wins, while the Royals have won four. The Royals will be led by the explosive South African batter David Miller, who was one of their five overseas signings for the season. Quinton de Kock, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Corbin Bosch and Azam Khan are the other four players set to represent the Royals this season. Azam, who made his CPL debut with the Royals last year, returns for his second stint with the side.
Match Details
CPL 2022, Match 3: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots vs Barbados Royals
Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts
7:00 PM local time
The Warner Park at St Kitts will be hosting the first seven games of the season before the teams head to St Lucia for the next leg. Both teams will be without the services of some of their international recruits, so it'll be interesting to see the Playing XI they field in this encounter. Teams playing at this venue have traditionally opted to bowl first, which means both captains will have their eyes on winning the toss first up.
Apart from having a heavy batting line-up, the Barbadian side is packed with match-winners like Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder, Bosch and the rest strengthening the all-rounders' department. In the bowling setup, Mujeeb’s prowess will add the perfect balance of spin to complement a fast bowling attack comprising gun pacers from the Caribbean like Obed McCoy, Oshane Thomas. With the perfect mix of youth and experience, the Royals will be keen to start on a winning note.
Royal to watch:
David Miller - With over 8000 runs in T20 cricket alone, David Miller comes into the Royals squad not just as a fiery, hard-hitting batter but also as an experienced cricketing brain. The Protea has had a successful IPL season in India and will be looking to continue his rich vein of form in the Caribbean. This is the second time Miller will be representing the Royals franchise, having previously plied his trade for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
Full squads:
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots - Dwayne Bravo (c), Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sherfane Rutherford, Dwaine Pretorius, Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Dominic Drakes, Dewald Brevis, Izharulhaq Naveed, Joshua Da Silva, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Keacy Carty, Jaden Carmichael, Qasim Akram, Kelvin Pitman
Barbados Royals - Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder, David Miller (c), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Obed McCoy, Kyle Mayers, Azam Khan, Hayden Walsh, Oshane Thomas, Rahkeem Cornwall, Devon Thomas, Joshua Bishop, Justin Greaves, Corbin Bosch, Nyeem Young, Teddy Bishop, Ramon Simmonds