CPL 2016: 5 Indian cricketers who could have been big stars if they played
It is undoubtedly the era of T20 leagues around the world, with almost all cricket playing nations currently having their own T20 league. The success of the IPL, and the growth in popularity of the shortest format of the game, coupled with the commercial success of it has given birth to such leagues. And thus, it is time for another, this time in the Caribbeans, for the fourth edition of the Caribbean Premier League. Last year, it was the turn of Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel, led by all rounder Dwayne Bravo to lift the trophy after they beat Barbados Tridents in the final.
Read: FULL SCHEDULE of the Carribean Premier League, FULL CONFIRMED SQUADS for CPL 2016
This year, 6 teams will battle it out to lay their hands on the CPL trophy. Getting underway on the 30th of June, the CPL will see six matches of the group stages being played at the Lauderhill Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Also read: Details about the CPL’s USA stop in Florida
While many West Indian players are bonafide stars in the Indian Premier League, with each team having their own superstar, the reverse does not hold true, as no Indian will line up for any of the teams in the CPL. This is due to the fact that the BCCI does not allow Indians to participate in the CPL according to by-laws in the contract the players sign. While, BCCI may relax on these rules in the future, we have to be content with the plethora of talent that the 6 teams in the CPL currently have and mull over what could have been, had the Indian superstars lined up alongside these stars.
With that being said, we sat down to list 5 Indian cricketers who could have been huge stars in the CPL:
Virat Kohli
No such discussion at this point of time can go on without including the Indian Test captain Virat Kohli. Having had the most remarkable season of his life, Kohli has established himself as one of the best batters in the world.
He’s had an imperious 2016. Nearly dragging India into the final of the World T20 and single handedly carrying his IPL team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore into the IPL final. Virat Kohli would have surely been the ace up the sleeve for any one of these six teams.
Stats:
| Stats | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike rate |
| IPL 2016 | 16 | 973 | 81.08 | 152.03 |
| Twenty 20 | 204 | 6445 | 41.85 | 132.99 |