#cpl2023

 Jamaica Tallawahs

Where they finished: Champions (2022), 5th place (2021), Losing semifinalist (2020)

Overseas signings: Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Chris Green, Salman Irshad, Alex Hales

After seasons of middling returns on the field following plenty of turmoil off field that led to the eventual exit of their stalwart Andre Russell, the Tallawahs stunned everyone in 2022 winning three Play Off matches in a span of four days to lift their third CPL title. Tallawahs have kept most of their winning core from last year bar their talismanic skipper Rovman Powell who moved to Barbados Royals in a pre-season transfer. The architects of their Play Off wins from last year, Brandon King and Shamarh Brooks, both have not been in the best of form as is their overseas signing Alex Hales who will arrive only after completing his Hundred commitments. Imad Wasim has been in red hot form in T20s this year and will be the key in holding together the top and lower order while his erstwhile countryman Mohammad Amir will spearhead the pace attack. Tallawahs would also need Nicholson Gordon, who finished at the top of wicket charts in Super 50 competition, to step up in what is an otherwise inexperienced pace unit.

Likely starting XI: Brandon King, Kirk McKenzie, Raymon Reifer, Shamarh Brooks, Amir Jangoo (WK), Imad Wasim*, Fabian Allen, Chris Green*, Mohammad Amir*, Salman Irshad*, Nicholson Gordon

Barbados Royals

Where they finished: Runners up (2022), 6th place (2021), 5th place (2020)

Overseas signings: Donovan Ferreira, Laurie Evans, Roelof Van Der Merwe, Maheesh Theekshana/Qais Ahmad

The standout team in CPL 2022 and the only team to win more than half of their league games, Royals can count themselves unlucky to have one of their poorer days of the tournament happen in the finals. The strategy to move away from all-round heavy sides of 2020 and 2021 campaigns and bring in specialists proved particularly fruitful as all their overseas signings chipped in with their respective assigned roles. Rovman Powell's arrival bolsters their local talent pool while the likes of Laurie Evans and Donovan Ferreira fill in for Quinton de Kock and David Miller. Kyle Mayers and Rahkeem Cornwall can set them off to rapid starts in the Powerplay and Alick Athanaze is expected to light up the tournament in what will be his maiden CPL stint. Mujeeb-ur-Rahman has a like-to-like swap in Maheesh Theekshana who stands to miss bulk of the tournament owing to commitments in LPL and Asia Cup with Qais Ahmad named as his partial replacement.

Likely starting XI: Kyle Mayers, Rahkeem Cornwall, Alick Athanaze, Kevin Wickham, Rovman Powell, Donovan Ferreira (WK)*, Jason Holder, Roelof Van Der Merwe*, Maheesh Theekshana/Qais Ahmad*, Obed Mccoy, Ramon Simmonds

St Lucia Kings

Where they finished: 4th place (2022), Runners up (2021), Runners up (2020)

Overseas signings: Faf du Plessis, Sikandar Raza, Peter Hatzoglou, Sean Williams, Chris Sole/Bhanuka Rajapaksa

St Lucia Kings turned around their fortunes in the Covid era making it to Play Off in three successive seasons, having done so just once in the first seven years. Ending up as runners up in 2020 and 2021, the Kings finished fourth place last year under Faf du Plessis. Notwithstanding his poor run in Major League Cricket, Du Plessis has been in fine form in the T20 circuit and his pairing with Johnson Charles makes them the best opening pair in the competition. The Zimbabwe duo of Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza will bring both form and experience to the middle order that is lacking big-ticket local names. Alzarri Joseph and Chris Sole, at least up until the latter makes way for Bhanuka Rajapaksa, give the side a considerable edge with the new ball. Matthew Forde have impressed in LPL 2022 as well as the recently concluded Global T20 in Canada finishing as the joint-highest wicket-taker and Kings would want him to extend that form in his sophomore year in CPL.

Likely starting XI: Faf Du Plessis*, Johnson Charles (WK), Sean Williams*, Roston Chase, Sikandar Raza*, Roshon Primus, Shadrack Descartes, Alzarri Joseph, Chris Sole*, Jeavor Royal, Matthew Forde

Guyana Amazon Warriors

Where they finished: 3rd place (2022), Losing semifinalist (2021), Losing semifinalist (2020)

Overseas signings: Rahmanullah Gurbaz/Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Azam Khan, Imran Tahir, Dwaine Pretorius, Hazratullah Zazai

Always the bridesmaid but never the bride. The only side that has made it to the Play-Offs/semifinals every year but is yet to lift the silverware, Guyana will be hoping they clear the final hurdle this time around. They have stuck to their strategy of packing their squad with spinners and sub-continent batters who are good players of spin. Imran Tahir, the highest wicket-taker across the last three installments of CPL, will helm the spin attack with Gudakesh Motie, Kevin and Junior Sinclair in the supporting cast while the all-around trio of Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul and Odean Smith in charge of seam department in addition to adding to the lower middle order muscle. In Azam Khan and Saim Ayub Guyana have two fine players of spin in the middle order. Warriors have the advantage of playing the knockouts at their home ground in Providence and would ideally want it to stay true to its colours and bring their spinners into play, something which did not happen last season and cost them dearly.

Likely starting XI: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK)*, Saim Ayub*, Shai Hope, Azam Khan (WK)*, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul, Odean Smith, Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie, Imran Tahir*

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Where they finished: 5th place (2022), Champions (2021), 6th place (2020)

Overseas signings: Dewald Brevis/Blessing Muzarabani, Ambati Rayudu, Corbin Bosch, George Linde, Izharulhaq Naveed

If ever there was a side that had players looking for a platform to push their case for the national team, it would be the Patriots. Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Sherfane Rutherford, Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas have all played for West Indies in the recent past but currently find themselves out of favour. Dominic Drakes and Yannic Cariah are also in the fringes of white ball squads but are far from being certain picks for West Indies. The big name missing from their squad last season is skipper Dwayne Bravo who has moved back to home side Trinbago after two seasons with the Patriots. If the loss of Tristan Stubbs dented their middle order a touch, the possible loss of Dewald Brevis later, who got his maiden International call up in the home series against Australia, would serve as a near-killer blow. The bowling attack has variety but lacks class, the spin department in particular is amongst the weaker ones in the competition.

Likely starting XI: Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher (WK), Dewald Brevis*, Sherfane Rutherford, Ambati Rayudu*, Corbin Bosch*, Dominic Drakes, George Linde*, Yannic Cariah, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas

Trinbago Knight Riders

Where they finished: 6th place (2022), Losing semifinalist (2021), Champions (2020)

Overseas signings: Martin Guptill, Rilee Rossouw, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Waqar Salamkheil

Ahead of the last edition, a few other sides matched the might of Knight Riders on paper. And yet they startlingly went on to finish the wooden spoon holders. Trinbago gets even stronger with the homecoming of their most successful captain Dwayne Bravo after a two-year exile with Patriots and in the quartet of Pollard, Bravo, Narine, and Russell, the Knight Riders have the experience of over 2100 T20 caps. The recent batting form of Pooran, Pollard, and Russell augurs well for them making Knight Riders the most explosive middle order lineup in the tournament. Top order batting has been a nagging issue for Knight Riders in the last couple of seasons as they hope for someone to fill in the shoes of Lendl Simmons. The trio of Narine, Hosein and Noor Ahmad gives them the mantle of the best spin bowling attack ever to be assembled in a CPL squad while Pathirana's addition gives the pace attack a dimension that CPL have often lacked in recent years - that of raw pace.