RAVI Rampaul and Nikita Miller were both players for the Trinbago Knight Riders and have remained in the "family" albeit with a different role. Rampaul and Miller have shown their commitment and now serve as assistant coaches to the TT-based franchise, currently two wins away from an unprecedented fifth Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title.
Fast bowler Rampaul only joined TKR in 2021 after spending a few years with the Barbados Royals where he won his first CPL title. He quickly delivered for TKR as he ended the 2021 CPL as the highest wicket-taker with 19 wickets in ten matches. Rampaul, 37, then earned a recall to the West Indies team for the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Since he was a teenager, Rampaul has showed tremendous ability as he was part of a West Indies Under-15 team which won the Costcutter Under-15 World Challenge played in England in 2000.
Many members of that team went on to play for the West Indies senior team including Krishmar Santokie, Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons, Assad Fudadin and Xavier Marshall.
In 2003, Rampaul made his debut for West Indies in an ODI against Zimbabwe when he was only 19. He had the longest run for West Indies in the ODI format, picking up 117 wickets in 92 matches, but injuries meant he was not a consistent member of the team.
In the T20 format, Rampaul reached the pinnacle of the sport when he was part of the West Indies team which won the 2012 T20 World Cup. He delivered with a strong performance in the semi-finals, grabbing 3/16 against Australia.
Rampaul is not far removed from his playing days as he represented the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the 2023 International League T20 which bowled off in January.
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TKR captain Kieron Pollard and Rampaul have had success together in past CPL tournaments. In the 2014 CPL, Pollard and Rampaul led the Royals (then the Barbados Tridents) to the title. Pollard was the captain and Rampaul was the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets.
Miller first joined the TKR squad back in 2016 and has been part of the family almost every year since then, winning multiple titles.
The Jamaican is one of many left-arm spinners who played for the TT franchise over the years and is now guiding those on the team. Akeal Hosein, who is on the 2023 TKR squad, is the left-arm spinner now leading the way along with Afghan player Waqar Salamkheil.
Khary Pierre, now with the St Lucia Kings, spent more than five years with TKR.
Miller had a ten-year career with West Indies from 2008-2018 playing in one Test match, 50 One-Day Internationals and nine T20 Internationals. His career with Jamaica makes excellent reading, grabbing 538 wickets in 100 First Class matches.
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It was only natural that after retirement, Jamaica retained Miller's services in some capacity. The Jamaica Scorpions are putting his immense knowledge to use as he was appointed assistant co
