Nicholas Pooran’s spectacular knock storms Trinbago Knight Riders into Qualifier 2 with dominant victory over Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in Eliminator

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Trinbago Knight Riders produced a masterclass in elimination cricket as captain Nicholas Pooran‘s unbeaten 90 guided them to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in the CPL 2025 Eliminator at Providence Stadium on September 16. The commanding performance secured TKR’s passage to Qualifier 2 with 15 balls to spare in what proved to be a one-sided affair.

After winning the toss and electing to field first, Trinbago Knight Riders watched as the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons built a solid foundation through a century partnership between Amir Jangoo and Andries Gous. The duo combined effectively to guide the Falcons to 129/1 after 16 overs, with both batters reaching their half-centuries in the process. Jangoo contributed 55 runs off 49 balls with three boundaries and three maximums, while Gous was the more aggressive of the pair, striking 61 from 45 deliveries including five fours and three sixes.

However, the innings took a dramatic turn as Usman Tariq struck twice within three deliveries in the 16th over, dismissing both set batters and triggering a collapse that saw the Falcons lose seven wickets for just 37 runs. Saurabh Netravalkar emerged as the pick of the TKR bowlers with figures of 3/23 from his four overs, claiming three crucial wickets including two in the penultimate over. Andre Russell chipped in with two wickets in the final over, while Shakib Al Hasan‘s quickfire 26 not out off nine balls featuring four boundaries and a six provided the only late resistance as the Falcons finished at 166/8.

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The Knight Riders’ pursuit of 167 began in aggressive fashion as Alex Hales immediately took the attack to Jayden Seales with consecutive boundaries. Although Colin Munro fell early to Rahkeem Cornwall for 14, providing the Falcons with their only success, the dismissal merely paved the way for a match-winning partnership between Pooran and Hales.

Pooran announced his intentions by smashing Cornwall for six to conclude the third over, setting the tone for what would become a dominant display. The turning point came in Cornwall’s second over when Hales unleashed 20 runs including three sixes, effectively putting the chase beyond the Falcons’ reach. The pair added an unbroken 143-run partnership for the second wicket, with Pooran’s 90 not out off 53 balls featuring eight towering sixes and three boundaries at a strike rate of 169.81.

Hales provided the perfect foil with an unbeaten 54 off 40 balls, striking three fours and three sixes to notch his third CPL fifty of the tournament. The left-handed Pooran survived two LBW appeals that went to DRS review, but otherwise looked in complete control as he reached his 16th CPL half-century with two sixes off Cornwall. He sealed the victory in style with two more maximums against Shakib, finishing with figures that underlined his status as one of the Caribbean’s premier T20 batters.

The comprehensive nature of TKR’s victory, completed with 2.3 overs remaining, sends a strong statement ahead of their Qualifier 2 clash. With Pooran in such devastating form and the team’s bowling attack proving capable of taking wickets at crucial moments, the Knight Riders will fancy their chances of progressing to the CPL 2025 final.

Dominating win for Trinbago Knight Riders 🌟#Cricket #CPL #TrinbagoKnightRiders

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) September 17, 2025

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