The Saint Lucia Kings have won 8 out of 11 matches played so far and with a strong batting lineup and a good combination of spin and pace bowling attack, the team is certain to win the CPL 2024 trophy.
The explosive opening partnership of 124 runs from 70 balls between Faf du Plessis and
Johnson Charles with each scoring a half-century, guided Saint Lucia Kings to post a total of 198-5 in 20 overs. While Faf played a supportive 36-ball-57-run knock that included 5 fours and 3 sixes, it was Charles who grabbed the headlines by scoring 79 runs from just 45 balls (including 8 fours and 5 sixes).
However, the defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors lost four wickets at an early stage and concluded with a total of 106 runs in 13 overs.
Despite the rain threatening to halt the game, the Kings restricted the Warriors to a below-par DLS score and secured their spot in the finals that will be played in Guyana on October 06 (Sunday). As 92 runs were required from 42 balls, the hosts still had the chance of chasing down the total with Shimron Hetmyer’s presence on the crease who scored a quickfire 18-ball-37-run knock (including 4 fours). Unfortunately, the 2023 CPL champions fell 15 runs short of the DLS calculations when the match was called off after severe rains persisting over an hour.
As Saint Lucia Kings qualifies for the finals for the 3rd time, let’s find out the franchise’s chances to lift its maiden CPL trophy in the 12th season of the tournament.
Reasons why Saint Lucia Kings can win the CPL 2024 Trophy
Here are the main reasons that prove why Faf du Plessis led Saint Lucia Kings can emerge as the CPL 2024 winners:
1. Strength in Batting Lineup:
One of the most important reasons for the Saint Lucia Kings’ effective performance in the ongoing season is their fiery batting lineup. The presence of high-profile batsmen such as Faf du Plessis, Johnson Charles, David Wiese, Tim Seifert, and Roston Chase makes the batting unit powerful. As a result, the opponent team’s bowlers are left clueless to restrict the flow of runs.
2. King of Successful Run Chases:
Notably, the Kings have lost only one out of five matches in this season while chasing targets. Here are the detailed stats that prove that Faf’s team is the real King of run chases in CPL 2024:
| Opponent Team | Target | Saint Lucia’s score in 2nd innings | Result | Highest Run scorer during the chase |
| St Kitts and Nevis Patriots | 202 | 202-5 in 17.2 overs | Saint Lucia Kings won by 5 wickets | Bhanuka Rajapaksa: 68 runs from 35 balls (including 6 fours and 4 sixes) |
| Antigua and Barbuda Falcons | 143 | 144-3 in 17 overs | Saint Lucia Kings won by 7 wickets | Johnson Charles: 47 runs from 46 balls (including 1 four and 3 sixes) |
| St Kitts and Nevis Patriots | 174 | 176-5 in 16.3 overs | Saint Lucia Kings won by 5 wickets | Johnson Charles: 74 runs from 42 balls (including 4 fours and 7 sixes) |
| Barbados Royals | 97 | 97-3 in 13.5 overs | Saint Lucia Kings won by 7 wickets | Roston Chase: *39 runs from 38 balls (including 4 fours and 1 six) |
| Guyana Amazon Warriors | 208 | 172-7 in 20 overs | Saint Lucia Kings Lost by 36 runs | Faf du Plessis: 92 runs from 59 balls (7 fours and 4 sixes) |
The above information proves that Saint Lucia Kings have higher chances of winning if they bat in the 2nd innings of the CPL 2024 final to record another successful run chase.
3. Faf du Plessis Consistent Batting Performance in CPL 2024:
As a captain and opening batsman of Saint Lucia Kings, Faf du Plessis has led his team from the front. As of October 4, the 40-year-old South African batsman is the fifth-highest run scorer of the tournament. He scored 384 runs in 11 matches at an average of 38.40 and a strike rate of 148.84, which includes 4 fifties along with his highest score of 92 runs against Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Faf’s energetic performance guarantees that he could be a reliable opening batsman to score huge runs for his team in the finals. His run-scoring abilities in 11 innings against these opponent teams prove that he can provide a blistering start for his side:
| Opponent Team | Runs Scored | Balls Faced | Number of fours and Sixes | Strike Rate |
| St Kitts and Nevis Patriots | 2 runs | 4 balls | – | 50.00 |
| Antigua and Barbuda Falcons | 28 runs | 15 balls | 5 fours and 1 six | 186.67 |
| Guyana Amazon Warriors | 6 runs | 6 balls | 1 four | 100.00 |
| Trinbago Knight Riders | 34 runs | 26 balls | 1 four and 3 sixes | 130.77 |
| St Kitts and Nevis Patriots | 62 runs | 31 balls | 5 fours and 5 sixes | 200.00 |
| Antigua and Barbuda Falcons | 14 runs | 12 balls | 1 four and 1 six | 116.67 |
| Barbados Royals | 26 runs | 19 balls | 3 fours and 1 six | 136.84 |
| Barbados Royals | 4 runs | 7 balls | – | 57.14 |
| Trinbago Knight Riders | 59 runs | 43 balls | 4 fours and 3 sixes | 137.21 |
| Guyana Amazon Warriors | 92 runs | 59 balls | 7 fours and 4 sixes | 155.93 |
| Guyana Amazon Warriors, Qualifier 1 round | 57 runs | 36 balls | 5 fours and 3 sixes | 158.33 |
4. Two Main Decision-Making Masterminds:
Former West Indies cricketer Daren Sammy and the ex-South African captain Faf du Plessis can support each other to make effective decisions.
The two-time T20 World Cup winning captain Sammy as the head coach of Saint Lucia Kings in CPL 2024 has huge experience in leading the team to success. Additionally, Faf has captained several franchises in T20 leagues globally. The collaboration of these two masterminds can extract the best talents of each player in their team and bring out the best outcomes.
5. Disciplined Bowling Lineup:
Saint Lucia Kings have Noor Ahmed in their squad, who is one of the world’s best spin bowlers. Currently, he is the leading wicket-taker of the CPL 2024, grabbing 19 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 14.32. Considering, in the pace bowling unit, Alzarri Joseph has been the fourth-highest wicket-taker in this season by taking 15 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 20.87. These two bowlers add a new dimension to the overall bowling line-up.
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Final Opinion:
It is a proud moment for the co-owners Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, Mohit Burman, and Karan Paul that the franchise enters its second CPL finals since their ownership in 2021. Whereas, this is the third CPL final for the Kings since the inaugural season in 2020.
Finally, Faf du Plessis and his men are waiting for an exciting Sunday to win their inaugural CPL title and create a sensation in the cricket world.
