CPL 2021: St Kitts and Nevis Patriots sign Chris Gayle
Star batsman Chris Gayle is set to make a comeback in the upcoming edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The Universe Boss has rejoined his old team, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, the franchise announced on their official Instagram channel. Gayle missed the 2020 edition of CPL, citing personal reasons. Earlier this year, he took part in the truncated Indian Premier League (IPL).
Gayle was supposed to play for Zouks in 2020
Gayle was supposed to play for the St Lucia Zouks in CPL 2020 after a fallout with the Jamaica Tallawahs. However, he opted out of the season due to personal reasons. Notably, Gayle had led the Patriots to their first final in 2017, when they lost to the Trinbago Knight Riders at the Brian Lara Stadium.
Gayle was involved in a CPL-related controversy last year
Last year, Gayle had made headlines after lashing out at former West Indies team-mate Ramnaresh Sarwan. The former blamed Sarwan for his ouster from his previous franchise Jamaica Tallawahs. Gayle had said that several players were traumatized by Sarwan, who was the team's assistant coach.
Gayle will bolster the batting of Patriots
Gayle's inclusion will certainly bolster the batting of the Patriots. They managed just one win from 10 games in the 2020 edition, having finished last. Their best performance came in the 2017 edition, when Gayle was the captain. Notably, Gayle finished as the third-highest run-scorer in that season. He amassed 376 runs from 12 games at a phenomenal average of 62.67.
Faf du Plessis returns to the CPL
Apart from Gayle, South African star Faf du Plessis also returns to the CPL after being acquired by St Lucia Zouks. The 36-year-old was a part of the Patriots in CPL 2016, where he scored just 179 runs from 10 innings. However, du Plessis has been in top form of late, having smashed 320 runs for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2021.
Jamaica Tallawahs re-signs Shakib Al Hasan
Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has returned to the Jamaica Tallawahs setup for the impending season. He had been a part of the franchise in 2016 and 2017 before moving to the Barbados Tridents in 2019.
CPL 2021: A look at the details
All the squads will be revealed at the CPL draft on Friday. The 2021 edition is scheduled to begin on August 28, while the final will take place on September 19. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all games will be held in St Kitts and Nevis. Notably, Trinbago Knight Riders won the previous CPL edition after beating the Zouks in final.
