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Both the Royals and the Kings have booked a berth for themselves in the CPL 2024 playoffs.
Barbados Royals will gear up to face the Saint Lucia Kings in the reverse fixture of the Caribbean Premier League 2024 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Sunday.
The Royals are sitting at the top of the CPL 2024 standings, while the Kings are positioned second. They both have 10 points from seven games and have qualified for the playoffs.
The teams will meet in a day’s gap after the Kings defeated the Royals by seven wickets on Saturday at the same venue. That was their first clash of CPL 2024. The Royals couldn’t replicate the usual flair that has been their trademark this season and fell to a heavy defeat. The Royals put a below-par total of 96 runs on the board, which the Kings comfortably chased down in 13.5 overs.
Though the batting department wasn’t at their usual best in the last encounter, Quinton de Kock can never be written off. The South African is having a fantastic CPL 2024 and is currently the season's highest run-getter. Apart from him, Alick Athanaze, David Miller and Kadeem Alleyne have been decent but are yet to play a match-winning knock. Captain Rovman Powell has been inconsistent, but he can win matches single-handedly. However, Rahkeem Cornwall’s form will be a cause of concern for the Royals.
The bowlers didn’t have a lot to defend in the last match against the Kings, but they have been one of the best bowling units of the season. While Obed McCoy and Jason Holder are amongst the top two wicket-takers for the Royals, the spin duo of Maheesh Theeksana and Keshav Maharaj is expected to be the game-changer at Guyana. On a spinning track, both of their skills will be put to the test. Cornwall, who took a five-fer against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, could also be brought in to aid the spinners.
Barbados have met Saint Lucia 23 times in CPL history and have a better head-to-head record. Although Barbados have won 13 matches, they need to quickly recover from the previous loss and revamp their strategy in time for the clash. Whoever wins will solidify their position at the top of the standings.
Saint Lucia Kings will be high in spirits after their dominant win over the table-toppers on Saturday. Having already made their way to the playoffs, the players will be more at ease, which could be crucial to get a win.
In the batting department, Johnson Charles and captain Faf du Plessis lead the charts. However, Roston Chase and Tim Seifert played a solid knock in the last game, and all eyes will be on them to replicate the same on Sunday.
On the bowling side, the pitch is a spinner’s paradise and that is where Noor Ahmad, their top wicket-taker this season (11), and Chase come into the picture. They took four wickets between them and gave away only 39 runs cumulatively. The ‘Player of the Match’ Alzarri Joseph will be a big threat as well. He finished with figures of 4/22 and would love to pick up from where he let off against the Royals.
CPL 2024, Match 24: Barbados Royals vs Saint Lucia Kings
Venue: Providence Stadium, Guyana
Date & Time: September 22, 10:00 AM local time | 7:30 PM IST
Where to watch: Star Sports Network and FanCode
Maheesh Theekshana: In a match where the bowlers didn’t have much to defend, the 24-year-old Sri Lankan came back with figures of 1/16, which included a remarkable wicket-maiden. He has been the Royals’ most economical bowler this CPL 2024 with an economy rate of 5.44 and eight wickets to his name. Considering the Guyana wicket is a spinner’s paradise, Theekshana will spearhead the bowling attack for the Royals on Sunday.
Quinton de Kock: The 31-year-old was out early in the previous game, but that doesn’t take away any shine from his armour. He is currently leading the CPL 2024 batting charts with 369 runs and an impressive strike rate of 168.49. With one century and two fifties this season, de Kock will look to play a consistent innings once again. He has witnessed what the Kings have to offer and he will be ready for the task.
Barbados Royals: Rovman Powell (captain), David Miller, Keshav Maharaj, Alick Athanaze, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Nathan Sealy, Rahkeem Cornwall, Quinton de Kock, Rivaldo Clarke, Dunith Wellalage, Isai Thorne, Kadeem Alleyne, Maheesh Theekshana, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nyeem Young, Obed McCoy, Ramon Simmonds, Kevin Wickham,
Saint Lucia Kings: Faf du Plessis (captain), Tim Seifert, Heinrich Klaasen, Alzarri Joseph, Akeem Auguste, Mikkel Govia, Johann Jeremiah, Khari Campbell, Aaron Jones, David Wiese, Noor Ahmad, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shadrack Descarte, McKenny Clarke, Matthew Forde, Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Khary Pierre
