By Anas Ahmed 
Pooran and Hales set the platform
Trinbago Knight Riders booked their spot in the CPL 2025 Final with a dominant 56-run win over Saint Lucia Kings in Providence. After losing Colin Munro early, TKR’s middle order combined to post a daunting 194/4.
Skipper Nicholas Pooran continued his rich form with a fluent 50 off 32 balls, cracking nine boundaries before falling to Roston Chase. At the other end, Alex Hales played the anchor role but accelerated brilliantly in the final overs to finish unbeaten on 58 off 44.
Late fireworks from Kieron Pollard (35 off 26) and Andre Russell (28 off 12) provided the killer blow, ensuring the Knight Riders’ innings ended with momentum firmly in their favour.
Kings undone by spin strangle
Chasing 195, the Kings looked steady at 44/0 after the Powerplay, thanks to Tim Seifert’s 57 off 40. However, the chase unraveled spectacularly once spin was introduced.
Usman Tariq (4/35) and Sunil Narine (3/18) completely suffocated the scoring. Saint Lucia went 5.2 overs without a boundary, and the asking rate ballooned beyond control.
Key wickets fell in clusters: Tim David and Akeem Auguste departed in consecutive balls, while Aaron Jones and skipper David Wiese offered little resistance. Once Seifert was dismissed, the defending champions were effectively out of contention, finishing on 138/8.
A fitting final awaits
This win propels Trinbago Knight Riders into Sunday’s CPL 2025 final, where they will face Guyana Amazon Warriors. It’s a blockbuster matchup between two powerhouse franchises, with the series history finely balanced—TKR triumphed in the 2018 final, while Guyana claimed the crown in 2023.
With Hales and Pooran in sublime touch and the spin duo of Narine and Tariq peaking at the right time, the Knight Riders will believe a fifth CPL title is within reach.
Brief Scores
Trinbago Knight Riders: 194/4 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 58*, Nicholas Pooran 50, Andre Russell 28; Roston Chase 1/16, Alzarri Joseph 1/36)
Saint Lucia Kings: 138/8 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 57, Tim David 28; Usman Tariq 4/35, Sunil Narine 3/18)
Result: Trinbago Knight Riders won by 56 runs
Player of the Match: Nicholas Pooran (50 off 32)
Zainab Shafiq