CPL 2021: Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane to turn out for Trinbago Knight Riders

Trinbago Knight Riders have roped in Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane for the 2021 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). The tweaker has played loads of T20 cricket in the last three years and has made a name for himself in the shortest format of the game.

The upcoming CPL is set to be his fourth stint in the T20 tournament after he made his debut back in 2018. He started for St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and then played for Barbados Tridents following which he moved to the Jamaica Tallawahs.

Fourth CPL team for Sandeep Lamichhane

2020 remains to be his most successful season as he picked up 12 wickets from 11 matches at an economy rate of 5.27. The Knight Riders will be his fourth team and he has joined Sunil Narine, Khary Pierre, and Akeal Hosein in the spin department.

In 101 T20 matches thus far, the 20-year-old has picked up 138 wickets with three four-wicket hauls to show for his efforts. It remains to be seen if he gets a chance in the playing eleven in the presence of some of the best spinners in the West Indies cricket fraternity.

The Knight Riders, in the meantime, have retained 12 players ahead of the players’ draft to take place on May 26. TKR have also traded in Denesh Ramdin from St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Ramdin played one season for the Patriots before returning to his old team.

Dwayne Bravo, who led the Knights to title glory in 2017 and 2018 respectively, has moved to the Patriots. Bravo is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the CPL with 106 wickets from 79 matches. In fact, he is the only bowler in the CPL with 100 plus wickets.

The Knights have retained Kieron Pollard, who turned 34 a few days ago, as their captain for the upcoming edition of the T20 tournament. The batting all-rounder played at a strike rate of over 200 last year and made sure that TKR won every other match in the event.

In the 2020 final, the Knights beat the St Lucia Zouks, who played their maiden CPL final, by eight wickets at the Brian Lara Stadium. Lendl Simmons was adjudged the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 49-ball 84.