TKR vs ABF | Nicholas Pooran and Saurabh Netravalkar shine as Knight Riders knock Falcons out of CPL

‌Trinbago Knight Riders knocked Antigua Barbuda Falcons out of the Caribbean Premier League with a thumping nine-wicket win in the eliminator in Guyana on Wednesday. Left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar and captain Nicholas Pooran shone with the bat and ball, respectively, to take the Knight Riders to the second qualifier of the CPL 2025 season.

After being put into bat at the Providence Stadium, the Falcons started positively to reach 21 in the first two overs before Netravalkar dismissed Rakheem Cornwall. The second wicket pair of Amir Jangoo and Andries Gous added 108 runs, but their slower tempo meant the middle order batters had a lot of work to do to take the side to a formidable total. Opener Jangoo hit three sixes and fours to score 55 off 49 balls while Gous’ 45-ball 61 was studded with five fours and three maximums. Shakib Al Hasan’s unbeaten cameo of 26 off nine balls took the Falcons to a competitive 166/8 despite a collapse, which saw them lose seven wickets for just 32 runs. Netravalkar was the Knight Riders’ top bowler with an impressive spell of 3/23 in four overs, while Usman Tariq and Andre Russell picked up two wickets each.

The Knight Riders’ chase started cautiously, with the side making 25 runs in the first three overs. But Colin Munro’s dismissal by Rakheem Cornwall turned things around with fellow opener Alex Hales smashing three sixes in the last over of the powerplay to take the side to 59/1. From then on, it was a Pooran show as the Knight Riders' skipper smashed eight sixes and three fours to remain unbeaten on 90 off just 53 balls. His partner Hales also completed his half-century and was at the non-striker’s end when Pooran hit the winning six off Jayden Seales in the third ball of the 18th over. The England batter scored a 40-ball 54, including three fours and sixes, as the Knight Riders’ dominant scorecard read 168/1. Cornwall was the only Falcons bowler to pick up a wicket, but was expensive, conceding 50 runs in his four overs.