West Indies bowlers Dominic Drakes, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul and Sheldon Cottrell are all set to join the UAE leg of the Indian Premier League as net bowlers as per a Crictacker report. There is, however, no certainty yet about which teams these players are likely to join, as an official confirmation is still awaited. 36-year-old Rampaul, who recently returned to the international fold after being named in West Indies’ 15-member T20 World Cup has played for RCB. Rampaul has previously been with the Royal Challengers during the 2013-14 seasons and has 14 wickets at 21.29 in 12 IPL games.
Edwards, 39, who made his West Indies return after a nine-year hiatus during a three-match home T20I series against Sri Lanka in March this year, was part of Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers in six IPL games, he has five wickets. Cottrell, who has also been named as a travelling reserve in West Indies T20 World Cup squad was part of Punjab Kings last year.23-year-old Drakes has never been a part of the Indian Premier League previously. The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, will resume on September 19 in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and defending champions Mumbai Indians. The action will then shift to Abu Dhabi where Kolkata Knight Riders will square off against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Sharjah will host its first game on September 24 when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Chennai Super Kings. In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah, and 8 in Abu Dhabi.
