When the Barbados Royals were set a mammoth target of 221 against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League 2023 on Sunday, September 3, Rahkeem Cornwall put his hand up and helped his side chase down the monumental score.
Sixes were flying in all directions, be it mid-wicket, long-on, covers, or square leg. He spared no one and smacked gigantic sixes for fun, to which the Patriots had no answer. Cornwall scored 102 from 48 deliveries, with his knock including four fours and 12 sixes, before retiring hurt.
Teams used to use Rahkeem Cornwall, who is a powerful striker of the cricket ball, more often as a pinch hitter in the middle overs considering his ability to play spinners with ease. But then the off-spin bowling all-rounder worked on his pace game, and now he is donning the role of opener for the Barbados Royals in the CPL 2023.
After the completion of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, teams will start their preparations for the upcoming IPL, and Cornwall’s power-hitting abilities might have caught their attention.
On that note, in this article we will look at some of the IPL teams that might look forward to signing Cornwall.
3 teams where Rahkeem Cornwall would be a good fit in IPL 2024
#3. Gujarat Titans
The Gujarat Titans are one of those teams that looks like a well-structured unit in the majority of departments. With the Afgani spin duo of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad performing exceptionally well for them, where does Rahkeem Cornwall even fit in?
The uncertainty about Kane Williamson’s return from his injury and the impact of that on his batting is stored in the future’s Penelope’s Web.
While releasing a player of Williamson’s caliber is something that can be a very risky option for a franchise, the inclusion of Cornwall not only acts as a backup for the spin department but also opens up an option in the opening position for GT.
#2. Rajasthan Royals
Barbados Royals’s parent franchise Rajasthan Royals management would be very closely watching the pyrotechnics of the Antigua all-rounder.
Rajasthan Royals had acquired Joe Root for the off-spin batting all-rounder role, and he did nothing wrong in his limited opportunities in IPL 2023.
But picking Rahkeem Cornwall in that role is something that makes great sense, as not only does Cornwall have a higher ceiling in power hitting compared to Root, but unlike Root, he is a 2-3 over bowler in T20 cricket.
#1. Kolkata Knight Riders
If there is one team that should be looking to acquire Rahkeem Cornwall in the upcoming IPL 2024 player auction, it should be the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
With Andre Russell, who used to be an outright match winner with his all-round abilities, and Sunil Narine, who has seemed to have lost his mojo, KKR need a player of the caliber of Cornwall.
While management might not risk both or either of them getting released, they might look to release Litton Das with other wicket-keeping options already in the team to accommodate the big man as a backup for Narine.