Tarouba [Trinidad and Tobago], August 30 (ANI): Colin Munro and Nicholas Pooran produced a batting masterclass as the Trinbago Knight Riders cruised past Barbados Royals by seven wickets in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025, climbing to the top of the points table, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Chasing 179, the Knight Riders made light work of the target, getting there with 13 balls to spare. Munro set the tone at the top with a blistering 67 off 41 balls, while Pooran applied the finishing touches in style, remaining unbeaten on 65 off 38 balls.
For the Barbados Royals, though, it was another disappointing outing, they remain at the bottom of the table with three defeats and one no-result from four matches.
The chase began in explosive fashion, with Munro and Alex Hales adding 55 runs inside the powerplay. Munro, the early aggressor, raced to his half-century in just 30 deliveries. Hales chipped in with a quickfire 19 off 14 balls before falling at the end of the sixth over, but the momentum stayed firmly with the Knight Riders.
Pooran walked in and immediately went on the offensive. His knock, packed with power-hitting and calculated risks, included a memorable moment when he hammered Rovman Powell for three consecutive sixes in the tenth over. Together, Munro and Pooran stitched a 93-run stand off just 54 balls for the second wicket.
Munro was eventually run out in the 15th over, but by then the equation was down to a comfortable 30 runs from 30 balls. Kieron Pollard joined Pooran and ensured there were no hiccups, smashing two sixes and a four in his nine-ball cameo, where he scored 19. The winning runs came in the 18th over, sealing a comprehensive victory for the Knight Riders.
Pollard also achieved a significant personal milestone, as he completed 14,000 T20 runs and is placed behind Chris Gayle 14,562.
Earlier, after being put in to bat, the Barbados Royals posted 178/6, a total that looked competitive at the halfway mark but eventually fell short. They lost Quinton de Kock early but recovered through a 56-run partnership between Brandon King (29 off 23) and Kadeem Alleyne (41 off 37).
The Royals’ real spark came from Sherfane Rutherford, who smashed a brilliant 45 off 22 balls. He went after the bowlers aggressively, hitting four sixes and three fours, including a stunning assault on Mohammad Amir in the 16th over. Captain Rovman Powell also played a fiery cameo, plundering 23 runs off Ali Khan in the 18th over, with three sixes and a four.
For the Knight Riders, Andre Russell and Mohammad Amir were the pick of the bowlers. Russell bagged 3/37, breaking partnerships at crucial junctures, while Amir finished with 2/35.
Despite a strong finish, the Royals’ total wasn’t enough against a clinical Knight Riders batting display.
With this win, the Trinbago Knight Riders sit top of the CPL 2025 table, level on points with St Lucia Kings but ahead on net run rate. Meanwhile, the Barbados Royals face mounting pressure as they search for their first win of the season. (ANI)
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