The 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has been a thrilling ride, filled with nail-biting finishes, unexpected upsets, and a few teams that seem to be stuck in a loop of disappointment.

The tournament has lived up to its reputation for drama, twists, and the occasional comedic blunder.

With the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) taking on the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) later today, the game promises to be a thrilling encounter, and it should come as no surprise that the Queen’s Park Oval is sold out.

As the tournament nears its climax, let’s dive into the highlights and lowlights of this year’s CPL thus far and ‘cover’ each team in the tournament.

The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons (ABF) have epitomized heartbreak this season.

The ABF lost both of their opening games against the St.

Kitts and Nevis Patriots (SKNP) and the GAW on the very last ball, and if they had won those games, the standings would have taken a totally different complexion.

Losing matches by the narrowest of margins is a cruel fate, and the Falcons have endured it with a straight face that belies their frustration.

Instead of the ABF having 8 points, they are struggling on 4, with the playoffs looking like a rather distant hope instead of a distinct reality.

Looking at the ABF squad, they have some excellent players who have played for the Jamaica Tallawahs, but, in general, their batting has been as reliable as a politician’s promise.

Getting scores of 163, 168, 145, 142, and 176 was a testament to ABF’s bowling attack to get these games into the last delivery of the 20 overs.

To score 176 and defeat the powerful TKR’s batting lineup by 6 runs indicated the bowling attack of Mohammad Amir, Chris Green, Imad Wasim, Shamar Springer, Fabian Allen, and Roshon Primus could have won games if their batting had not been as dependable as a house of cards in a hurricane and given them more runs to defend.

Brandon King was a huge miss for them for most of the tournament.

They will be better next year with one or two batting recruits, but I think they will have to watch the playoffs from the sidelines.

Perhaps a batting coach specializing in calming nerves could be their secret weapon next season.

SKNP, yet again, has been a disaster of Titanic proportions, sinking into the depths of mediocrity.

After winning the first game on the last ball, I thought that would have given them the impetus to go on to better things, as I had indicated they may have been the team to fight the St Lucia Kings (SLK) for that final playoff spot.

As it stands now, like last year, they may only win one game.

I do not comprehend how a team with the talent of Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Andre Fletcher, Anrich Nortje, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Veerasammy Permaul, just to name a few, can only win 1 game out of 7 thus far.

With a roster filled with such talented players, it’s a mystery that would baffle even Sherlock Holmes as to how they’ve managed to achieve so little.

I believe the team’s planning is not good enough, as the days of just going out there and playing are over.

One can remember when Dwayne Bravo left TKR to go and captain the SKNP, and they won the tournament.

It came down to good leadership—knowing your players and the opposition.

SKNP needs a proper overhaul of the vehicle; the engine is dead, the battery is corroded, and it is past time to get new mechanics.

The SLK is one of my favorite teams simply because the best and smartest tactician leads them in the tournament, Faf du Plessis.

The Kings have been a thorn in the side of many teams with their explosive batting, but their bowling often feels like a leaky faucet that cannot stop the flow of runs.

I still think they lack one quality batsman in their middle order because if Du Plessis and Johnson Charles go early, they struggle to get to 175 runs, although their inexperience in their bowling let them down against TKR.

On another note, I cannot understand how Khary Pierre is not commanding a regular place in the team, especially when they played TKR, as he knows their players well.

They have a match-winner in Noor Ahmad, but one or two other bowlers will have to come to the party, and even though they will likely get to the playoffs, I still believe they may have to wait another year to win their first CPL title.

The Barbados Royals (BR) have quietly emerged as a dangerous force to be reckoned with.

They have a tremendous all-round squad.

Quinton de Kock represents class at the top of the order.

Once he gets going, the opposition is facing a total of 175 plus, and add Alick Athanaze, David Miller, Rovman Powell, and Jason Holder to the batting, and they are more than capable.

The key for the opposition is to get de Kock out early.

Their bowling is stronger than their batting, as could be seen when TKR struggled to get over the line, chasing 157 for victory.

Spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Keshav Maharaj are world-class, and when the seamers Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, and Holder (who was awful vs.

TKR) get it right, teams will have difficulty scoring against them.

If they bring their A-game to the playoffs, they could spring a surprise against the ‘Big 2’.

TKR, the 4-time champions, haven’t, in my view, played their best all-rounded game thus far.

They’ve shown glimpses of their former dominance, but consistency has been an issue.

It’s like they’re playing a game of poker, bluffing their way to victory.

I thought complacency set in against ABF, and they paid the price, but I don’t think that will happen again for the rest of the tournament.

They also possess an excellent all-round team.

Any franchise with Nicholas Pooran and Sunil Narine in it must be strong favorites to win.

Waqar Salamkheil is bowling better than ever, and Akeal Hosein is his usual steady self.

The pacers at the moment are leaking runs.

In the batting department, one or two batsmen at the top need to take the responsibility and bat deep.

If they can find their rhythm and avoid complacency, they’ll be a tough team to beat.

The real test for the TKR will come later today when they face the GAW, which will go a long way in determining the strengths of the two teams.

The GAW are the other favorite team, but are they good enough to defend their title? The Warriors have been a perennial contender in the CPL, and I honestly think they can defend their title.

Playing the last leg at home will give them a lot of confidence.

They bat deep, but they will miss the influence of Rahmanullah Gurbaz; however, the form of Shimron Hetmyer is encouraging.

He looks as if he wants to rekindle his career, as it was on a downward spiral, and he seems determined to mark the 2024 CPL with some devastating innings.

Shai Hope, on his day, is brilliant, and the addition of Moeen Ali will add more depth to the batting and bowling.

However, they’ll need to watch out for the unexpected twists and turns that the CPL has become famous for.

There is not much to choose between the TKR, GAW, and the BR, and on their day, they can each defeat one another.

It is at this point that all the teams have to be playing their best cricket, as one bad game can be the catalyst for downfall.

I am sure TKR remembers the final last year, but with these 3 teams so close in ability, it augurs well for a great climax to the 2024 CPL finals, and may the best team win.

Who will that be? Well, your guess is as good as mine.

As the tournament reaches its conclusion, we can only hope that the final will be a fitting end to a season that has kept us on the edge of our seats.

Enjoy!The research team from left, Diana Maharaj, Renuka Ragoo, Alicia Paponette, Melissa Senhouse, Tanya Western, Maria Mohammed Maharaj, Dr.

Stephanie Mohammed, Dr.

Venkatesan Sundaram, and Dr.

Brian Cockburn.

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