CPL Cricket 2021 Update- There is some really good news for Indian cricket. One of the Indian wicket-keeper has been signed by the Barbados Tridents from the CPL 2021 drafts. Smit Patel will be only the second Indian who will play in the CPL. The Caribbean Premier League will be returning to action in August with their ninth.
All the six franchises have already announced their squad. That is ahead of the new upcoming season that should grab a lot of attention. Pravin Tambe became the first Indian to ever play in the CPL last year. He will be missing out from the Trinbago Knight Riders’ squad for the upcoming edition.
However, this time another Indian player will make his debut instead. The Barbados Tridents have signed him for the 2021 Caribbean Premier League edition.
What Is Smit Patel; Why Has He Been Picked For The CPL Cricket 2021 Season?
The reason why Smit Patel is being talked about right now is because the keeper from Gujarat was in India’s XI that beat Australia in the U19 World Cup 2012 final. He is 28 at present but has not been able to make any major impact till now. The fans would remember that Patel had played a very crucial role back then in helping Team India win.
He had made an unbeaten 130-run stand alongside centurion, Unmukt Chand in that tournament. The 28-year old star managed to bag a tally of 62 runs in the most crucial match of that tournament. Despite that, he failed to make it to the IPL and was just a forgotten memory.
The fact that he is a wicketkeeper hasn’t helped his case as well. There is no doubt that his first-class and List-A cricket stats for Gujarat are really remarkable. He was also part of the Krunal Pandya-led Baroda in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy. However, nothing he did seemed to be enough for him to warrant a place in the IPL 2021 edition. This would have been disappointing for the player, who decided to try his luck elsewhere.
What Next For The Gujarat Based Star; Can He Make An Impact In This Year’s CPL?
The CPL has given a lot of players the opportunity to leave their mark in the previous editions. This could be the big chance that Smit Patel needs to leave his mark. CPL Cricket 2021 tournament could be his best opportunity to make a name for himself. He does have the talent which he showcased as a youngster. Now is the opportunity to make it big. That is if he can be consistent and do the basics right.
The player would take inspiration from players like Suryakumar Yadav and T Natarajan, who made it to the Indian team rather late. If he can really do well in the upcoming tournament, he may catch the attention of a few IPL franchises and potentially the Indian selectors, though the latter would need something very special. Despite that, the CPL Cricket 2021 could be the perfect opportunity that the player needs now to revive his fading career.