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Antigua and Barbuda Falcons
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots
ββThe 2025 Caribbean Premier League will begin with St Kitts and Nevis Patriots facing Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at Warner Park, St Kitts. Both teams struggled last season, finishing in the bottom two. The Falcons ended 5th with 3 wins and 7 losses, while the Patriots managed only 1 win in 10 matches, recording the lowest net run rate of the season.
In CPL 2024, these sides met twice and won one game each, with both victories coming while chasing. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots have called back Simon Helmot as head coach, the same man who guided them to the 2021 title. They have also added Jason Holder to their squad.
The Falcons have strengthened their lineup with the signing of Shakib Al Hasan. With both teams looking for a fresh start, this match will set the tone for their 2025 campaign.
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots have more specialist and experienced openers, giving them a better chance of building a stronger opening stand.
The betting tip is...
Highest Opening Partnership - St Kitts and Nevis Patriots
75 %
25 %
Antigua and Barbuda FalconsSt Kitts and Nevis PatriotsSt Kitts and Nevis Patriots will be led by Jason Holder this season. He has the experience of captaining the West Indies in the past. The batting unit will feature Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher, Alick Athanaze, Dominic Drakes, Jyd Goolie, Mikyle Louis and Kyle Mayers as key national stars. Lewis, Fletcher, and Mayers will bring vast T20 experience to the side.
Mayers, Holder and Bosch are solid all-rounders to have in the team for depth in batting and bowling.
In the overseas contingent, Waqar Salamkheil, Rilee Rossouw, Corbin Bosch, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Mohammad Nawaz will add depth in both batting and bowling. The squad has multiple top-order options, while the bowling unit offers variety with quality pace and spin.
Lewis, Rossouw and Fletcher are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Evin Lewis, Mikyle Louis, Rilee Rossouw (wk), Andre Fletcher, Alick Athanaze, Kyle Mayers, Jason Holder (c), Dominic Drakes, Mohammad Nawaz, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Waqar Salamkheil.
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons will be led by either Imad Wasim or Shakib Al Hasan this season. Both have captaincy experience at the international level. The squad features Fabian Allen, Jewel Andrew, Rahkeem Cornwall, Justin Greaves, Obed McCoy, Jayden Seales, Shamar Springer and Odean Smith as key national stars. Seales, Springer, and Smith will provide significant T20 experience.
The team has several all-rounders in the form of Obed McCoy, Odeon Smith, Imad Wasim, Shakib Al Hasan, and Rahkeem Cornwall can also contribute in both departments.
Overseas players include mystery spinner AM Ghazanfar, Imad Wasim, Shakib Al Hasan, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Bevon Jacobs, adding strong all-round and bowling depth. With several all-rounders in the squad, the team will have multiple balance options in both batting and bowling.
Andrew, Cornwall and Shakib are the key batters in the team.
Predicted Lineup: Kevin Wickham, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jewel Andrew (wk), Shakib Al Hasan (c), Justin Greaves, Fabian Allen, Imad Wasim, Odean Smith, Naveen-ul-Haq, Jayden Seales, and Obed McCoy
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are likely to start strong in this contest. They have experienced openers and need to pick from Evin Lewis, Mikyle Louis, Rilee Rossouw and Andre Fletcher, all capable of scoring quickly in the powerplay. Their top order has more specialist batters compared to their opponents.
Antigua and Barbuda Falcons have quality players but rely more on all-rounders in their top order. This could affect their ability to build a big stand at the start.
If the Patriotsβ openers settle in, they can make the most of the fielding restrictions and put early pressure on the Falcons. A solid start from their opening duo will be key to giving St Kitts and Nevis an early advantage in this match.
