Three players each from champions TKR and semi-finalists Tallawahs in ESPNcricinfo’s XI
Sreshth Shah11-Sep-2020Glenn Phillips (Jamaica Tallawahs, wicketkeeper)
The New Zealander was the tournament’s highest run-scorer up until the final, and eventually finished No. 2 on the list. Although his 58 against Trinbago Knight Riders and his 49 against St Lucia Zouks could not earn his team wins, his unbeaten 79 against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots was one of the season’s best-constructed innings. He was the lone consistent batsman in a team pegged back by inconsistent batting performances.Lendl Simmons (Trinbago Knight Riders)
The ever-consistent Simmons did not start the tournament well, struggling with a string of low scores. However, that did not affect his team’s fortunes, nor did they lose faith in him. And he repaid the trust by hitting three fifties in his last four innings, including an unbeaten 54 in the semi-final and an unbeaten 84 in the final. He eventually surpassed Phillips as the season’s top run-scorer and Chris Gayle as the top run-getter in the history of the CPL.Shimron Hetmyer (Guyana Amazon Warriors)
He scored the tournament’s first fifty on opening day and followed it up a 71 against Patriots. Then came a string of low scores but an emphatic fifty against St Lucia Zouks at the back end showed what damage Hetmyer can do on his day and his unbeaten 32 against Barbados Tridents on a very difficult surface was further testament to this talent. He was, by far, the Amazon Warriors’ best batsman.Darren Bravo (Trinbago Knight Riders)
He batted in only nine innings, often being shafted down the order if Knight Riders needed quick runs, but he showed his worth by being not out in four of them. His 36-ball 54 helped Knight Riders put up 185 during the league stage, then unbeaten scores of 26 not out and 23 helped his team see off tricky chases, after which he top scored with 50 against Zouks and finally capped his season off with an unbeaten 58 in the final, rescuing Knight Riders from 19 for 2 to seal their fourth CPL title.Kieron Pollard with the CPL 2020 trophy after leading Trinbago Knight Riders to 12 wins in 12 matches•Getty ImagesKieron Pollard (Trinbago Knight Riders, captain)
As a captain, Pollard was always tuned in, often using his mental games to get the better of his opponents. As the Knight Riders captain, he did exactly that, the proof of which lies with the 3 for 35 he took against the Zouks in the league stage and the 4 for 30 in the final. Earlier, his 72 against the Tridents helped the Knight Riders chase down 70 in five overs and kept them unbeaten on a day it looked as though their streak would end. His strike rate of over 200 was the highest in the tournament among players who scored 200 runs or more; Andre Russell’s 141.40 was the second-best. Pollard was also named the Player of the tournament. Andre Russell (Jamaica Tallawahs)
He was the Tallawahs’ second-best batsman, after Phillips. He couldn’t bowl as effectively this season as he typically does because of a knee flare-up. But with the bat he struck 222 runs in eight innings, and because of the sluggish nature of the pitches, he had to rein in his natural batting ability. That, however, served him well: hitting a 37-ball 52 against the Amazon Warriors and a 28-ball 54 against the Tridents.Mohammad Nabi (St Lucia Zouks)
It wasn’t the best of seasons with the bat for the Afghanistan allrounder, with a high score of 35 not out, but he contributed with the ball enough to make up for it. He was the only bowler to take a five-wicket haul this season, helping restrict St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to 110 for 9. His 12 wickets were important in Zouks’ reaching the final but it was his bowling economy of 5.10 that played an even more crucial role.A pumped up Jason Holder celebrates a wicket•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / GettyJason Holder (Barbados Tridents)
Holder’s consistent contributions with the bat kept the Tridents in the hunt for a semi-final spot but that was not to be as his own batting form dropped and none of his team-mates was doing the heavy lifting. He was one of those rare batsmen this season who could continue to be aggressive like their usual self, striking at an attractive rate as finisher. His 69 in Tridents’ last league game showed that his skills as a batsmen are underrated. He was also an effective partnership breaker with the ball, and had four maiden overs to his name, the most this season.Scott Kuggeleijn (St Lucia Zouks)
The New Zealand allrounder was the season’s highest wicket-taker and played a key role in the Zouks’ run to the final. His two overs at the top and two at the death gave him the wicket-taking opportunities and he did not let the team down by delivering in those phases of play. Although his economy of 7.78 was unattractive, he could be relied on get the crucial breakthroughs. His 4 for 33 against Patriots and 3 for 24 against Amazon Warriors lifted his side into semi-final contention halfway through the competition.Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Jamaica Tallawahs)
The Afghan offspinner routinely strangled batsmen in the powerplays and even made an impact outside of the first six overs. He conceded more than 24 runs in only three of his 11 games and his successive three-wicket hauls – 3 for 18 and 3 for 11 against Amazon Warriors and 3 for 14 against Tridents – reminded every viewer why he is one of the best spinners going around in T20 cricket today.Imran Tahir (Guyana Amazon Warriors)
For long, Tahir was at the top of the wickets tally this season, but a wicketless semi-final meant he slipped to third eventually. That said, he was a consistent bowler right after the powerplays, either wearing the batsmen down by turning the ball both ways or by forcing them to play him out. His 3 for 12 against the Tridents was one of the spells of the season.