Trinbago Knight Riders win fifth CPL title in close victory over Guyana Amazon Warriors

Trinidad and Tobago: Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have clinched the title of CPL champions for the fifth time after a five year trophy drought. The team played against Guyana Amazon Warriors in a nail biting match on Sunday, September 21, at the Providence National Stadium in Guyana.

The Trinbago Knight Riders chased the set target of 131 runs with three wickets to spare and two overs left. Guyana Amazon Warriors, on the other hand, struggled to keep a pace on pitch while batting but showcased outstanding bowling skills from their acknowledged spinners.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors had a solid start after they chose to bat first. Opening batsman, Ben McDermott, scored 28 runs off  just 17 balls, however despite a good start they struggled throughout to build momentum and set a strong target. The team somehow managed to post a total of 130 runs at the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs.

GAW fans also criticized Imran Tahir’s decision to bat first, calling it a costly gamble. The Trinbago Knight Riders who were to bat second also faced many lows, as they lost important wickets of their team’s best batsman early.

The opening batsman of the Trinbago Knight Riders, Alex Hales although played long in the match till the 17th over, scored a mere 26 runs. Riders had a continuous loss throughout the match with their crucial wickets falling out.

Akeal Hosein, an experienced batsman played a crucial role in the match by scoring 16 runs off just 7 balls, which led him to win the title of  man of the match. Kacey Carty’s skills and patience led the TKR to their victory in the CPL 2025.

This marked a historic win for TKR, making them the second team in CPL history to clinch the title after progressing through both the Eliminator and Semifinal stages. The first team to achieve this feat was the Jamaica Tallawahs.

After the match Kieron Pollard was titled as the Player of the Tournament, for scoring 383 runs from 13 matches at a strike rate of 174.09. With that he also delivered an emotional speech after the match as he said “The booing is boring now. We’ve become the laughing stock of cricket around the world. I’m not bitter, but I feel sorry, not for myself.”

He further added that he is blessed with an opportunity and a talent from God and till date have represented his family and country “I play because I love the sport. This title means a lot. Five times champions, and at 38 years old I’m still going around the Caribbean giving everything I can.”

The team was seen emotional after winning the match as they were seen hugging each other and were crying. The video was captured on camera and is making rounds on social media. Fans and Netizens alike are congratulating the team for their victory in the tournament after 5 years.