CPL 2025, Qualifier 2 Review: Tariq, Narine spin Knight Riders to final

Trinbago Knight Riders. (Photo source: Ashley Allen - CPL T20/CPL T20 via Getty Images)

The Trinbago Knight Riders defeated the Saint Lucia Kings by 56 runs to secure a place in the Caribbean Premier League 2025 final. Fifties from Nicholas Pooran and Alex Hales and brilliant bowling in the middle overs set up the win for the Knight Riders will now face the Guyana Amazon Warriors in Sunday’s final.

The Knight Riders’ innings began with the big wicket of Colin Munro but three consecutive partnerships of fifty or more allowed them to set a very challenging total. Pooran, eventual Player of the Match, continued his excellent form as he blasted 50 from 32 balls before he was bowled by Roston Chase. While Pooran was going well Alex Hales was restrained at the other end but he upped his aggression as he also passed fifty to end the innings undefeated on 58.

Quick fire runs from Kieron Pollard (35) and Andre Russell (28) at the death saw the Knight Riders’ total reach 194/4 from their 20 overs, a total that proved enough to see the Trinidadian side reach the final to take on the Guyana Amazon Warriors. 

The Kings innings started steadily enough with Tim Seifert finding the boundary regularly in the PowerPlay. Johnson Charles played a supporting role but he found it harder to clear the ropes. They reached the end of the PowerPlay at 44/0 and it was from there that the Knight Riders bowlers really squeezed the life out of the chase. 

The Kings faced 5.2 overs without scoring a boundary as the spin trio of Sunil Narine, Usman Tariq and Akeal Hosein increased the pressure on the kings. With the required rate climbing to nearly 15 an over by the second half of the innings. The 2024 champions needed a massive innings from someone in their middle order to keep their title defense alive. That did not materialise with Tim David and Akeem Auguste falling in consecutive balls to Tariq who was the pick of the bowlers with 4/35.

Narine supported admirably with remarkable figures of 3/18 from his four overs. 

Focus now shifts to Sunday’s final where the in-form Amazon Warriors await the Knight Riders in a blockbuster clash that will decide who wins this year’s CPL. These two teams have met in two previous finals with TKR winning in 2018 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy while in 2023 the Guyana Amazon Warriors won at Providence.