CPL 2021: Who is Barbados Tridents’ Smit Patel?

Remember Smit Patel? While the name of captain Unmukt Chand got all the accolades and attention, one of the uncelebrated heroes of India’s 2012 U-19 World Cup victory in Australia was Patel, the Gujarat wicketkeeper-batsman.

Smit Patel impressed some of the world cricket’s prominent names, including legendary Australian captain Ian Chappell, for his safe and sound gloveman and ability to produce crucial runs lower down the order throughout the U-19 World Cup.

But despite his heroics in the yet memorable final in Townsville, where he made an unbeaten half-century in an unbeaten stand with the centurion Unmukt Chand, Patel mostly went under the radar and continued representing Gujarat at the domestic level.

Smit Patel (pic courtesy: Twitter/TOI)

Smit Patel has also played Goa, Tripura and featured in Baroda’s ranks in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament earlier this year. In all, Patel has played 55 first-class, 43 List A and 28 T20 games in his domestic career.

CPL 2021: who is Barbados Tridents’ Smit Patel?

On Friday (May 28), Smit Patel was back in the news as he was listed among the players set to play for popular franchise Barbados Tridents for the 2021 edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Patel was enlisted as a player from Major League Cricket player in the Tridents’ roster, meaning he has decided to shift to the US on a permanent basis and end his career as a domestic cricketer in the Indian system aged only 28. Smit Patel will also be playing in the newly launched cricket league in America.

That he has chosen to end his domestic career suggests Patel has given up on his India dream. He is now only the second Indian player ever to get a CPL contract after Praveen Tambe. During his stint with Tridents, Smit Patel will have the chance to rub shoulders with the likes of Chris Morris, Jason Holder, Thisara Perera, Mohammad Amir.

Smit Patel adds to the wicketkeeping options for Tridents, who had a disappointing campaign in the last year’s edition of the CPL and finished fifth in the six-team table after winning only 3 and losing 7 of their 10 league matches. The two-time champions will have a chance to stand resurrected when CPL 2021 finally begins on August 28.