PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Though disappointed that his home franchise chose not to retain him for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) season, wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin is looking forward to proving his worth to his new squad, the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the 35-year-old who has played in the CPL tournament since its inception in 2013, helping the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) to the title in 2017 and 2018, was released by the franchise and subsequently signed by Patriots.
“I was very disappointed but it was beyond my control; it’s sport. I had lots of fun memories with them on and off the field, winning two trophies,” the Trinidadian, who scored 190 runs with a top score of 50 in the 2019 CPL, told Sportsmax.
However, he added: “I am happy to join a new team. It’s all about business and nothing else.”
The former West Indies captain added that Patriots would benefit from his experience and ability to adapt to any situation during this year’s CPL which is tentatively still set for August 19 – September 26, even as organisers keep a close eye on the COVID-19 pandemic that has halted sporting activity across the world.
Over his six seasons playing in the CPL for the Guyana Amazon Warriors and TKR, Ramdin amassed more than 1 000 runs.
Of those, 619 of them were made at TKR, making him one of four players to have scored 500-plus runs for the franchise which he spent four years with.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday after it was announced he had not been retained, he thanked fans for supporting him during his stint with the two-time CPL champions.
“Now it’s time to move on,” he added.
Ramdin was the only new Caribbean player signed by Patriots. The team members retained by the franchise were: Rayad Emrit, Evin Lewis, Sheldon Cottrell, Fabian Allen, Alzarri Joseph, and West Indies emerging player Dominic Drakes.
Over a career that has spanned more than a decade and more, Ramdin scored over 2 000 runs in both Tests and ODIs. His tally of 188 dismissals as a wicketkeeper is the third highest for any Windies keeper.
