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| @TKR team celebrates after winning the CPL 2025 title. |
The Big Picture:
- It was the final in the Caribbean Premier League 2025, which was held at Providence Stadium, Guyana.
- It was a tight call: TKR had to run 131 down and had 12 balls (two overs) left to do so and it was a 3-wicket win.
- This victory gave TKR their fifth CPL Title , their first victory away from their home ground in Trinidad.
Toss, Conditions and First Innings (GAW Batting)
- GAW Won the toss choose to bat first.
- Providence pitch may give spin as well as a certain amount of bounce; dew factors may be anticipated to be normal at night. GAW would have wished that the surface could have been in a position to bowl better with their bowlers in case TKR pursued.
- GAW’s Innings:
- GAW posted 130/8 in their 20 overs.
- Key contributions:
- Iftikhar Ahmed top scorer with 30 off 27 balls.
- Ben McDermott played aggressively scoring 28 off 17 balls.
Bowling from TKR:
- Saurabh Netravalkar took 3 wickets for 25 in four overs. Bowling extremely trim when it was needed.
- Akeal Hosein took 2 for 26 in his 4 over.
- Others got involved, however, they kept the middle and lower order of GAW off scoring big bursts. GAW were 65 for 5 at one point.
- The tail-end batting by GAW proved to be a fight: Pretorius (25 off 18) and Shepherd (13 off 9) brought some welcome relief at the end.
The Chase: TKR’s Response
TKR needed 131 to win. Considering the target, it was competitive yet definitely followable with good startups.
Early Promise & Setbacks
- Colin Munro got off to a flying: 23 out of 15 balls. He went early at the limit and returned the pressure to the Warriors.
- But GAW was not long in repaying the blow: Munro got him (Pretorius) with his wicket, and dulled him.
- Alex Hales gave a patient knock - 26 off 34 balls. He attempted to stand on the wicket as the wickets dropped about.
- Key Early Wicket: Pooran was reduced cheaply; Darren Bravo was lbw by Imran Tahir. A sort of collapse took place: 33/0 to somewhere about 55/3.
Middle Overs & Turning Point:
- The required rate was increasing slowly, which forced TKR to fall on experience, Sunil Narine was promoted in the order and he became more attacking.
- In the 12th over, Sunil Narine hit two sixes off Gudakesh Motie. That turned the tide a point in the other direction.
- Earlier his bowling had already taken its toll, Akeal Hosein had already sent some key GAW batsmen back to the dressing-room. However, in the pursuit, his need to complete, which he did in style, was decisive.
Final Overs Drama:
- The squeeze was later on when TKR were 116/7 requiring 15 to be run off 22 balls.At this stage, not many would have placed a lot of money on TKR to win.
- Imran Tahir, the veteran spinner for GAW , came to the rescue at the end: he bowled Kieron Pollard (with the googly) and then Andre Russell - huge scalawags in such stressful times.
- Shamar Joseph also made a significant contribution of a key wicket (Hales) immediately before that.
- Next came the winner of Hosein: at the right time, he hit a six and four off Gudakesh Motie with successive blows, ensuring TKR got across the line with three wicket remaining.
Turning Points and Star Performers:
- Akeal Hosein: Named Player of the Month. He played very important roles both with the ball and the bat. He had assisted in keeping GAW early with the ball; he had been unbeaten (16 off 7) with the bat, and left the match deep.
- Saurabh Netravalkar: 3/25 was necessary to ensure that GAW was not more than 140. Otherwise a greater total would have rendered the pursuit very difficult.
- Imran Tahir (GAW): came so close to it, his 3/34 and his late wickets heralded the turn of tide. At 46, still pulling big strings.
- Iftikhar Ahmed and Ben McDermott had opposed early meltdown in GAW; however, once they broke down, the lower order was not able to construct enough.
What tilted the game Favor of TKR?
- The failure of GAW to stand at 65/5 did not allow them to record a more assertive total. Disciplined death bowling and tight bowling on the part of spinners of TKR made difference.
- The ability of TKR to survive the pressure and particularly in the last overs. A gap of 7 wickets in the pursuit may ruin a team. However, the experience of older players and the composure of Hosein enabled them to make it.
- The calmness in racing the wickets, going gap picking, keeping the strike rotating, despite the absence of boundaries. Such little helps are needed in close pursuits.
- The top/middle order was not perhaps doing well enough to make a high score of 130 is defendable but is minor in a final, particularly in the lights and with dew coming.
Aftermath & Significance:
- It is a historic victory of TKR: fifth title, their first win in a long time since 2020.
- In the case of GAW, there was disappointment in terms of not performing well when such a good bowler as Tahir is getting the strike and good inception on part of Iftikhar and McDermott. They will regret failing to go beyond 150.
- Individually: Hosein receives extensive accolades of contribution in both departments; Tahir reiterates his reputation as a match-winner even in his 46th year; the seniors within TKR such as Pollard, Narine, Pooran are in a position to draw on such in later years.
Lessons & Reflections:
- The mental game is an important aspect in big finals as much as the skills are. The capacity to remain cool at the time wickets are going down, when there is pressure in the run-rate, these are the ones that make champion sides.
- First in the finals may be a two-edged sword particularly in cases of dew or favourable batting conditions later. GAW maybe believed that; their bowlers were performing strongly but they could not capitalize their batting in the critical situations.
- Significance of depth in the batting: although starts were made by Hales and Munro, the contribution of later batsmen (and all-rounders in particular) was vital.
Brief scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 130/8 in 20 over (Iftikhar Ahmed 30; Saurabh Netravalkar 3-25, Akeal Hosein 2-26) lost to Trinbago Knight Riders 133/8 in 18 over (Kieron Pollard 21; Imran Tahir 3-34, Shamar Joseph 2-9) by 3 wickets.