CPL 2018, much like the previous editions, produced some eye-catching celebrations from the usual suspects as well as fresh faces. We look back at the top celebrations of the season
The masked man
South Africa left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi is, arguably, the greatest celebrator of wickets around. The CPL is already familiar with his bus driver, walking stick, the Mortal Kombat and shoe-telephone celebrations.
He had missed the start of CPL 2018 because of national duty in Sri Lanka and a subsequent stint with South Africa A in India, where he sustained a back injury. After recovery, he joined St Kitts & Nevis Patriots as a replacement for Australian batsman Tom Cooper. In his first match of the season, Shamsi unveiled a new celebration: the masked man. After having Barbados Tridents' Shai Hope skewing a loft to long-off, where his compatriot Rassie van der Dussen ran in and plucked a catch, Shamsi pulled out a snazzy scarf from under his neck, covered his face like a mask, and wheeled away.
Celebrations Galore!! Check out some of the best Celebrations in #CPL18 so far #Biggestpartyinsport pic.twitter.com/MhLmGdZRFX
— CPL T20 (@CPL) September 9, 2018
The reverse somersault and the ninja kick
Two days after turning 18, Afghanistan legspinner Qais Ahmad let rip the ball and celebrations against Barbados Tridents at Gros Islet. It coincided with St Lucia Stars snapping a 14-match losing streak, stretching back to July 2016. After drawing a top-edge from Dwayne Smith's sweep, that was caught behind square on the leg side, Ahmad ran in and did a reverse somersault, landing awkwardly before leaping for more joy. He wasn't done yet. Then, after snaffling Hashim Amla with a legbreak in his next over, he lifted his leg and unfurled a Kung Fu kick that would have done Jackie Chan proud.
The Superman press-ups
After receiving a call-up to the West Indies A team, Andre Russell was up all night, working out and doing press-ups. He's a supremely fit athlete who in a recent interview with the CPL said he trains the way NFL players do. After having Stars' Lendl Simmons carving a catch to deep backward point, Russell, Jamaica Tallawahs' captain, showed off his fitness. He not only did press-ups but also exploded a couple of feet in the air in between before high-fiving wicketkeeper Glenn Phillips.
The selfiebration
On T20 debut against Barbados Tridents, Stars' left-arm spinner Chris Lamont bowled 15 dots in his four overs and claimed the wickets of Dwayne Smith and Shai Hope in a Man-of-the-Match performance. He was also at it in the field. When Tridents' Nicholas Pooran spliced a pull to deep square leg, Lamont completed a well-judged tumbling catch, pulled out an imaginary phone and clicked a selfie. Kesrick Williams, the bowler who had made the 'selfiebration' popular along with Darren Sammy at Rajshahi Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League, also joined the fun.
The Orange Justice
Have you heard of the Orange Justice dance? Fortnite set up a competition where gamers could enter a video of themselves dancing, and a kid with an orange shirt became quite a hit although he did not win it. Carlos Brathwaite's attempt at doing the Orange Justice in CPL 2018 was quite a hit as well. After fooling Shimron Hetmyer with a slower ball, he set off, flailing his arms and hips around like that kid with the orange shirt.
One of the great mistaken celebrations in the CPL today #CPL18 pic.twitter.com/8EG8Fkufh2
— Ricky Mangidis (@rickm18) August 9, 2018
The celebration that was...but wasn't
Trinbago Knight Riders' quick Ali Khan has the moves to match his captain Dwayne Bravo in a dance-off, but he celebrated rather prematurely against Stars in the blooper of the season. When he found seam movement and the outside edge of opener Andre Fletcher, he pointed to the TKR emblem on his jersey and kissed it without paying attention to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who had let the ball clang out of his gloves.
Other noteworthy celebrations: Kesrick Williams' disco dance, Imad Wasim's Cristiano Ronaldo impersonation, Dwayne Bravo's Run D World, Sheldon Cottrell's military salute and Imran Tahir's mad sprints to the boundary