The 12th edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will kick off on August 29 with a number of T20 stars returning to the Caribbean after featuring in the T20 World Cup in the region earlier this year. Here's everything you need to know about the latest season.
So, the biggest party in cricket is back?
Indeed, the six-team CPL 2024 will start on August 29 and will run until October 6, with seven venues set to host 34 games. The top-four teams in the league phase will qualify for the playoffs, which will be held at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Just like the IPL, the top-two teams will get two tilts at the final.
Okay, how many countries are hosting the tournament?
CPL 2024 will be played in six countries: Trinidad, Guyana, Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts, and Antigua.
Tell me, what's new this season?
For starters, Shamar Joseph is now a global phenomenon. After having started CPL 2023 as a mere net bowler for Guyana Amazon Warriors, Joseph moved up the ranks and bowled West Indies to their first Test victory in Australia in nearly 27 years, and has broken into the IPL and West Indies' T20 World Cup squad since. He is poised to play a more prominent role for Amazon Warriors, the defending champions.
Plus, there's a new team: Antigua & Barbuda Falcons. They will replace Jamaica Tallawahs, the 2013, 2016 and 2022 CPL champions. Kris Persaud, a Guyanese businessman based in Florida, owned the Tallawahs franchise but had sold it back to the CPL. The CPL intends to relaunch a Jamaica-based franchise in the years to come.
Falcons' home base will be the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, which last hosted a CPL game in 2014 when Antigua Hawksbills were active in the league.
Falcons have absorbed the core of Tallawahs, with Brandon King, who is currently recovering from injury, Mohammad Amir, Fabian Allen and Imad Wasim all part of the new franchise.
You mentioned that Amazon Warriors are defending champions...
Yep. After falling short in five finals previously, Amazon Warriors clinched their first title under Imran Tahir's leadership last season. Tahir, 45, is still going strong in franchise T20 leagues, and will return to captain Amazon Warriors in their quest to defend the crown. Left-arm fingerspinner Gudakesh Motie and offspinners Kevin Sinclair and Junior Sinclair will complement Tahir's wristspin on the slow, low pitches at Providence.
They will be bolstered further by the return of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who was the leading run-getter in the T20 World Cup 2024, and the addition of left-arm seam-bowling allrounder Raymon Reifer.
Which are the other strong teams?
You can't look past the star-studded Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) side, who have Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran and Sunil Narine in their ranks. Russell, who had been rested from West Indies' most recent home T20I series against South Africa, is set to return to action in the CPL.
If TKR's big guns fire in unison, they have a strong chance to mark their tenth year in the league with a fourth title. TKR last won the silverware when they enjoyed an unbeaten run to the title in 2020.
St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, who finished bottom last season with just a solitary win in ten games, look much stronger this season, at least on paper, especially after having signed the South Africa trio of Tristan Stubbs, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi. They have also recruited big-hitting allrounder Odean Smith, who was transferred from Amazon Warriors. Opener Evin Lewis will look to prove a point after having last played for West Indies in the 2022 T20 World Cup. He is set to open the batting with allrounder Kyle Mayers, who was Patriots' first pick at the draft.
How many overseas players can be part of the XIs at the CPL?
As such, four. But it's mandatory for the teams to field an emerging player in five games, and in those games, they can field an additional overseas player. But once the quota is done, they can't pick a fifth overseas player even if they field that emerging player.
Tahir is the oldest player in this CPL, but who is the youngest?
At 17, Jewel Andrew, who was snapped up by Falcons, could well become the youngest player ever to feature in the CPL (if he makes his debut before the playoffs). Pooran was previously the youngest player to make a CPL appearance at 17 years and 300 days.
Andrew, who was West Indies' highest run-getter in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, with 207 runs in four innings at an average of 69 and strike rate of 109.52, has been tipped to become the next big thing in Caribbean cricket. So, well, remember the name!
USA's Aaron Jones is part of this CPL, right?
Yes, you have been paying attention. The USA batter, who made a splash at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, was picked by Daren Sammy's St Lucia Kings at the draft, but he will play as a local player through his Barbados passport. Jones has previously played in West Indies' regional set-up for Barbados and Combined Campuses and Colleges and was an unused member of the Patriots squad in CPL 2019.
Any unknown players to keep an eye on?
Quite a few, including fast bowlers Isai Thorne (Barbados Royals) and Nathan Edward (TKR) who have both represented West Indies at the Under-19 World Cup.
Also, heard of Mikkel Govia?
The Kings allrounder is the son of Russell Latapy, the former Trinidadian footballer. Govia, 22, hasn't played an official T20 yet, but has made regular appearances in T10 cricket in the Caribbean. With West Indies searching for their next offspin-bowling allrounder after Roston Chase, there might be some interest around Govia and Falcons' Kofi James.
Does the CPL clash with any other T20 tournament?
Of course. What's a T20 league without a schedule clash these days? It overlaps with the knockouts of the Vitality T20 Blast in England. Chris Green, for example, will turn out for Falcons in the CPL and will not be available to Lancashire. The CPL, however, has avoided a clash with the Hundred after holding talks with the ECB earlier this year.
How can fans outside the Caribbean catch the action?
Every match of CPL 2024 will have ball-by-ball commentary right here on ESPNcricinfo. Fans in India can watch the CPL on the Star Sports network or Fancode. USA and UK viewers can watch it on Willow TV and TNT Sports respectively. Sky Sport will be broadcasting in New Zealand and Super Sport in South Africa.