Kevon Cooper

Kevon Cooper, the seam-bowling all-rounder from Trinidad, is your typical bits-and-pieces cricketer of the T20 age. With his natural athletic flair, effective lower-order pinch-hitting, and his ability to deceive batsmen with his variations at the death, he is the quintessential T20 player, custom-built for the art.

As a teenager, Cooper debuted for Trinidad & Tobago in the infamous Stanford Super Series in 2008. He was back in the limelight 2 years later, and cemented his spot in 2011 after dishing out some stellar performances in the CPL that year.

There were questions about Cooper’s action and he was reported by match officials, but after undergoing tests in Perth, he was cleared immediately and went back to playing T20 leagues around the world. His big break came when he was picked in the IPL in 2012 by the Rajasthan Royals - and he was suddenly a part of the world’s most lucrative T20 league which gave him a superb stage to exhibit his all-round abilities. Nevertheless, his campaign got cut short to six games due to a freak injury.

He has been a typical modern professional cricketer - a T20 nomad, playing several leagues around the world including ones in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the Caribbean. Cooper’s T20 accolades kept coming: In 2015, he was a key member of Trinidad and Tobago’s Red Steel championship winning side. A few months on, he was a major part of Barisal Bulls’ road to the Bangladesh Premier League final, Cooper emerged as the tournament's highest wicket-taker.The 2013 IPL season turned out to be more productive for Cooper as he picked up 19 wickets in 14 games, as he ended up picking up the second-highest number of wickets for the Royals that year.

He has found it easier in the T20 leagues than knocking the door down into the West Indian side - what with the Bravos and the Pollards of the world having cemented their spots. That continues to be an inherent problem with being a bits and pieces cricketer. However, he has certainly established himself as a premier all-rounder in several T20 leagues around the world and remains a vital part of his CPL franchise - the Trinbago Knight Riders - playing a vital role in their consecutive title wins in 2017 and 2018.

By Rishi Roy

As of September 2018