Glad to be at home, says Ravi Rampaul on Trinbago Knight Riders selction

VETERAN PACER Ravi Rampaul makes an anticipated return to this year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 tournament as he was drafted by defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) on Friday.

The 36-year-old, alongside former West Indies Under-19 wicketkeeper Leonardo Julien and Sri Lanka’s left-arm fast bowler Isuru Udana were the final three additions to the championship team at Friday’s CPL virtual player draft.

Rampaul’s selection comes on the heels of a dominant display at the 2021 Regional Super50 Cup with eventual winners Trinidad and Tobago Red Force. This, however, would be his first stint with TKR.

From 2014 to 2017, Rampaul represented the Barbados Tridents and was part of the team which lifted the trophy in his first year there. In 2015, the Bajan franchise also finished as runners-up.

After a four-year hiatus from the CPL, the right-arm fast bowler is ready for his long awaited return to the CPL circuit.

“I’m elated to get picked up by TKR. It’s a good feeling to come back and play cricket in the Caribbean after being away for so long. I’m really happy and excited about the tournament this year. First time I would be playing for TKR so I’m glad to be at home,” he said.

For the past five years, Rampaul has plied his trade mainly in English county cricket. Since his introduction to English domestic cricket in 2015, he represented Surrey in his first two years. The former WI pacer then shifted allegiance to Derbyshire for the next three years.

He expressed pleasure that TKR was able to retain the majority of their title-winning team and anticipates a highly competitive tournament. TKR, however, will be without veteran all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who will represent St Kitts/Nevis Patriots this year.

In return, the Patriots traded wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin to the defending champions.

“You would expect that players shift around. The key point for me in the draft is that TKR retained the majority of their players. That’s a positive sign that they were able to maintain the main players.

“Everyone already knows each other so when we meet as a team, we would go directly into cricket and into playing and performing,” he said.

Rampaul holds in high regard the leadership traits of TKR skipper Kieron Pollard. When Tridents won the CPL in 2014, Pollard was the captain of the Bajan franchise while Rampaul was a player there.

Similarly, Pollard also captained Rampaul and the TT Red Force team to Super50 victory earlier this year. The burly pacer expressed pleasure to reunite with Pollard under the TKR banner and believes the skipper has the drive to lead the team to another flawless CPL victory.

“The three years I played with Barbados Tridents, Pollard was the captain there. This year, for the Super50, he was also my captain. He’s a good leader and he motivates you a lot.

“I’m really happy that he is captain and he encourages you to want to perform for the team. Whatever I can do to help the team I am here. Hopefully they can repeat the feat this year,” he added.

With the recent government-implemented state of emergency owing to a high increase in covid19 cases and deaths nationally, outdoor sports and exercise has been prohibited to prevent the spread of the virus.

Rampaul, however, has opted to continue his training regime at home in an effort to get into the best possible shape before the August 28 CPL bowls off.

“We were doing some training with the national team but that was called off. I have a little exercise equipment at home and a backyard to do some running so I am trying to keep myself fit. There’s not much bowling or cricket skills you can do but at least you can work on your fitness again,” he concluded.

The 2021 CPL ends on September 19 with all 33 games being played at Warner Park Stadium in Basseterre, St Kitts.

TKR 2021 TEAM: Kieron Pollard (captain), Sunil Narine (vice-captain), Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Leonardo Julien, Anderson Phillip, Ravi Rampaul, Tion Webster, Ali Khan, Colin Munro, Isuru Udana, Sikandar Raza.