Knight Riders dump Ramdin

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have opted to head into the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) without wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin, but have retained nine other players for the tournament.

The former T&T and West Indies captain was notably absent from the list of Caribbean players TKR announced today that they would be retaining this season.

The players who will stay with TKR are: Dwayne Bravo who missed last year’s tournament because of injury, Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine, Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Amir Jangoo, Tion Webster and Akeal Hosein.

Emerging player Jayden Seales, who earned the ICC’s nod for the Team of the Tournament after a spotlight-grabbing performance at the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, was the only new Caribbean player signed.

“International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date,” TKR said in a statement.

This year, franchises can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish and also transfer players to other teams and sign emerging players.

“Over the last five years, TKR has built the franchise by consciously bringing back players from Trinidad and Tobago and also developing local talent. We are delighted that all ten of our Caribbean players in the TKR squad for 2020 are from Trinidad & Tobago,” said TKR director Venky Mysore.

In a post on Instagram today, Ramdin thanked fans for supporting him during his last four years with two-time CPL champions TKR.

“…. But things beyond my control so [I] am not going to be at TKR 2020. Thanks to management, staff [and] captain, also the owner for the opportunity at TKR. Now it’s time to move on,” he added in the post that included a video clip of him hitting a Hero Maximum in last year’s tournament.

The CPL is scheduled to take place August 19 – September 26, but tournament organisers are watching the current COVID-19 pandemic and liaising with medical advisors and governments to decide whether the tournament will proceed as planned. (CMC)