The Caribbean Premier League 2023 Playoffs are set to begin on September 19. The final stage of the tournament will be held at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
The defending champions, the Jamaica Tallawahs, Saint Lucia Kings, and Guyana Amazon Warriors, will appear in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, Trinbago Knight Riders will enter the playoff stage for the 8th time in 11 editions of the tournament.
Trinbago Knight Riders opener Martin Guptill believes the TKR franchise can play at an even higher level in the playoffs of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
In a media conference on Monday in Guyana, Guptill said, “We are in a pretty good space. I think everybody has had some good game time out in the middle…the guys are playing really good cricket and I think the best is still yet to come, so we are looking forward to getting stuck into it.”
Right-handed Guptill has been in form, scoring 262 runs at an average of 32.75 with one century and one half-century. He is the fourth-highest run scorer in the 2023 CPL.
The tournament began on August 16, but Guptill said the team’s fitness is up to standard.
He said, “We had a very slow start to the tournament. We had two games in like a ten-day period and then coming through our busy period (in Trinidad) we had five matches in eight days. It put a massive toll on us and when we left Trinidad everybody was pretty tired, but having only one game in the last week everybody is freshened up and ready to go for this next phase of the tournament, which everyone is really excited for.”
Guptill said all the players on TKR are available for selection including Dwayne Bravo, who has only played a few matches in the tournament due to an injury.
Bravo has spent most of his CPL career with TKR since the tournament bowled off in 2013. The medium pacer, the leading wicket-taker in the history of T20 cricket with over 600 wickets, played in the first four matches for TKR which included an abandoned match against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
Bravo bowled in two matches for TKR this season, grabbing 2/31 against Kings and 2/43 versus St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.
Asked if Bravo is fit, Guptill said, “As far as I am aware, everybody is ready for selection, so I take that as a yes I am sure.”
Bravo, 39, has still been an integral part of the team. He has been seen coaching from the boundary’s edge, especially guiding the other bowlers like fast bowler Ali Khan.
TKR finished the preliminary phase of the tournament in second position, behind Guyana Amazon Warriors.
The eliminator will bowl off at 7 pm on Tuesday between Jamaica Tallawahs and St Lucia Kings with the loser being knocked out. On Wednesday, TKR and Guyana Amazon Warriors will lock horns in qualifier one with the winner advancing to Sunday’s final.
GAW lacks a front line right arm off spinner and this may cause them the title . Their game with St. Lucia Kings brought this to the fore and now Kevin Sinclair left the team.
It will be interesting to see how this play out and will take responsibility