10 Overseas players to watch out for in CPL 2016

The T20 leagues, the likes of IPL and CPL, are surely the launching pads for the young players of any country but on most occasions, it is the overseas players who light up the stage and add charm to the lineups of the teams on paper. The 4th edition of the CPL is around the corner and the expectations are building sky high. A host of overseas players have signed up for the popular league but there are some who are sure to hog most of the limelight. Here are the 10 overseas players to watch out for in CPL 2016: 1. Dale Steyn – Jamaica Tallawahs: Dale Steyn. (Photo by ANESH DEBIKY/AFP/Getty Images) Someone’s loss is someone else’ gain, they say; the adage holds good for the South African speedster Dale Steyn. The Jamaica Tallawahs signed up the fiery pacer as a replacement for Lasith Malinga. Steyn is currently playing for Glamorgan in the Natwest T20 and had recently bagged a four-wicket haul to show he can be lethal in the shortest format. Steyn, who got to play just one match in the recently concluded IPL 9, will be raring to show his skills on the field for the Tallawahs. Also check out – CPL 2016: Preview of all the 6 teams 2. AB de Villiers – Barbados Tridents: Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman AB de Villiers in action during an IPL match. (Photo Source: Surjeet Yadav/IANS) Talk of the T20 cricket and modern day batting, and the name of AB de Villiers comes right at the top. The South African ODI skipper will be playing for the Barbados Tridents this season. He will play alongside fellow South Africans David Wiese and Wayne Parnell in the team. AB got very close to winning a major title in his career but fell short as his team Royal Challengers Bangalore lost the IPL finals. It will be interesting to see if he could get rid of the chokers tag and take the Tridents to a title win. 3. Martin Guptill – Guyana Amazon Warriors Martin Guptill (Photo Source: Twitter) The Kiwi opener Martin Guptill has been in a swashbuckling form ever since he hit an ODI double ton in the ICC World Cup last year. Guptill will be sporting the Guyana Amazon Warriors jersey this season. The franchise has bestowed a big responsibility on his shoulder and named him the captain to lead the team this season. He was part of the same franchise for the 2013 and 2014 editions of the CPL but moved to St.Kitts in the 2015 edition. In the 2016 CPL player draft, he was yet again picked up by Guyana Amazon Warriors for USD $130,000. Overall, Guptill has scored 821 runs from 28 CPL matches at 35.69. All that you need to know about CPL – CPL 2016: Teams, Squads, Schedule and Fixtures 4. Adam Zampa – Guyana Amazon Warriors Australian bowler Adam Zampa. (Photo by ANESH DEBIKY/AFP/Getty Images) One of the most promising young leg-spinners in world cricket today is Adam Zampa. The Australian twirler has been roped in by the Guyana Amazon Warriors for CPL 2016. His team will play the inaugural match of the season against the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots. It will be interesting to see how he fares up against his competition from the opposition, Tabraiz Shamsi. The two players have a history between them and the contest will be a mouth-watering one. Zampa recently bagged a six-wicket haul in the IPL and showed how accurate he can be in the T20s. 5. David Miller – St. Lucia Zouks David Miller. (Photo Source: BCCI) The South African middle order batsman, David Miller, was the second highest gainer in the CPL 2016 drafts, to fetch top tier $160,000 contract. Miller will make his CPL debut for St. Lucia Zouks. He will be filling in the void that was left by the English batsman Kevin Pietersen. Miller, who has had a rough run in the recent times, will be hoping to makes amends in the CPL and get back to his old self and be back in the league of best finishers. He had a quiet IPL this season and will thus be a player to watch out for in CPL 2016. 6. Hashim Amla – Trinbago Knight Riders Hashim Amla. (Photo Source: BCCI) The defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders were quick to snap in Hashim Amla in the round four of the CPL drafts this year. Amla showed great form in the tri-series that took place in the Caribbean this year. The kind of form he is in, he serves as a great value addition to the Knight Riders. Amla, who was never considered to be a T20 juggernaut, is now one of the top openers in the format. He played his first ever IPL match this year for the Kings XI. During his short stint at the IPL, he hit a masterly 96. 7. Shane Watson – St. Lucia Zouks Shane Watson. (Photo Source: BCCI) The former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has retired from the international cricket but is still regarded one of the top all-rounders in T20 format. Watson will be playing for St. Lucia Zouks this season and the veteran Aussie is all excited about the prospect. He had a great season playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 9. He was one of the top 10 leading wicket takers of the tournament and a handy batsman who hit quick runs. His all round ability would serve the purpose of the Zouks ideally. Watto will be one of the top highlights to see this season. He will alongside the likes of David Miller, Morne Morkel and Darren Sammy. 8. Michael Hussey – St. Lucia Zouks Michael Hussey looks on before the Big Bash League match. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe – CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images) Perhaps the biggest surprise this season would come from the veteran Australian batsman Mike Hussey. Hussey, who retired from international cricket quite some time ago, will be donning the T20 jersey yet again. He will have the support of fellow veteran Aussie Shane Watson but he will take the limelight for sure. How good will the old horse be? This remains to be one of the most attractive prospects of CPL 2016. Hussey had earlier played in the Big Bash League this season for the Sydney Thunder and had hit 3 brilliant half centuries including an unbeaten 80 against the Sydney Sixers. 9. Kumar Sangakkara – Jamaica Tallawahs Kumar Sangakkara. (Photo by Mitchell Gunn/Getty Images) Former Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara retired from limited overs cricket after he hit 4 masterly tons in the ICC World Cup last year. Since then, he has been in prime form despite retiring. He scored heavily in the Bangladesh Premier League before becoming the leading run-getter in the inaugural Masters Champions League. He played the Natwest T20 blast this season for Surrey. With the kind of sublime form he is in, Sanga looks to be a perfect addition to the Jamaica Tallawahs for CPL 2016. 10. Brendon McCullum – Trinbago Knight Riders Brendon McCullum. (Photo Source: BCCI) Brendon McCullum has retired from international cricket but that doesn’t seem to stop him from performing heavily in the shortest format of the game. McCullum will take the field for the defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders. He was one of the marquee players at the CPL drafts this year. His exploits at the top is something that the Knights would hope for. He recently played for the Gujarat Lions in the IPL where he got decent starts. He then went on to play for Middlesex in the Natwest T20 Blast. His most notable performance came recently when he plundered Kent by hitting an unbeaten match-winning 87 off just 57 balls. Watch out for the old kiwi!

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10 Overseas players to watch out for in CPL 2016

9. Kumar Sangakkara – Jamaica Tallawahs

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