Trinbago Knight Riders Vs Saint Lucia Kings, Qualifier 2: TKR Reach CPL 2025 Final

Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) defeated holders Saint Lucia Kings (SLK) by 56 runs in Qualifier 2 of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 at Providence Stadium, Guyana, early Saturday (September 20), India time.

In the final, the Nicholas Pooran-led Knight Riders will face the Guyana Amazon Warriors -- scheduled for early morning on September 22, India time, at the same venue.

Trinbago Knight Riders Vs Saint Lucia Kings, Qualifier 2 Highlights

Asked to set a target by LSK captain David Wiese, TKR posted 194/4 in 20 overs with eight fours and 16 sixes. Except for opener Colin Munro, who got out in the first over for a run-a-ball six, other TKR players who got a chance to bat played really well.

Alex Hales anchored the innings with an unbeaten 58 off 44, while captain Nicholas Pooran (50 off 32) gave middle order impetus. Later, Kieron Pollard (35 off 26) and Andre Russell (28 off 12) provided the finishing touches.

For the Saint Lucia Kings, Khary Pierre, Roston Chase and Wiese claimed a wicket apiece in what turned out to be a pasting at the hands of some of the most ferocious hitters in world cricket.

The chase itself started confidently with openers Tim Seifert (57 off 40) and Johnson Charles (17 off 24) adding 59 runs in nine overs. But the SLK innings failed to take off as TKR offspinners Sunil Narine (3/18) and Usman Tariq (4/35) put a stranglehold in the middle overs after Kieron Pollard's initial strike.

SLK could manage only 138/8, with only Tim David managing a knock of note, a 19-ball 28, other than the openers. Four batters failed to open the account, either getting out for ducks or returning without troubling the statisticians.

Caribbean Premier League 2025 Play-offs Wrap

Trinbago Knight Riders, Saint Lucia Kings, and the Guyana Amazon Warriors earned CPL 2025 play-off berths with 12 points each, but were separated by net run rate in the final standings. Antigua and Barbuda Falcons joined the final run with a fourth-placed finish, 11 points.

The Kings topped the league table with an NRR of +0.746, but back-to-back defeats in Qualifier 1 and 2, first to the Warriors and then to the Knight Riders today, ended their campaign.

In a thrilling Qualifier 1 between the top two teams, Imran Tahir's Guyana Amazon Warriors defended 157 all out for a 14-run win, despite a late order charge from Khary Pierre (50 off 29) and Tymal Mills (30 off 18) for Saint Lucia Kings.

But before that, in the Eliminator, the Knight Riders beat the Falcons by nine wickets with skipper Pooran hitting 90 not out off 53, laced with three fours and eight sixes, and Alex Hales compiling a half-century (54 not out off 40). The successful chase of 166/8 was completed in 17.3 overs.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Vs Trinbago Knight Riders Final

The final a familiar stage for both teams: Trinbago Knight Riders, the most decorated Caribbean Premier League franchise, are back in the final after a two-year gap, while Guyana Amazon Warriors will be playing their eighth CPL final.

TKR are the four-time champions, having lifted the trophy in 2015, 2017, 2018, and most recently in 2018. GAW's lone CPL win came in 2023, with a nine-wicket win over TKR set up by Dwaine Pretorius's 4/26. They were losing finalists in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2024. Considering historical results, they are the most consistent side, making the playoffs every season, at least.

Pretorius, the South African pacer, has already scalped 15 wickets this season, with captain and fellow Protea Imran Tahir leading the bowling charts with 20 wickets. They will be up against a strong TKR batting line-up in the final. TKR captain Pooran has scored 425 runs, and is second behind Shai Hope (479) of GAW.

Unmissable IPL-CPL Connection

The CPL–IPL connection continues to deepen. Nicholas Pooran's form in CPL 2025 mirrors his Indian Premier League 2025 performance for Lucknow Super Giants, where he played a key role in their play-off run. Guyana's Shai Hope, who had a brief IPL stint with Punjab Kings, continues to produce awe-inspiring batting knocks.

Sunil Narine, a Kolkata Knight Riders legend, is now the all-time leading wicket-taker (133) in the CPL. Keiron Pollard, now retired from IPL, was a serial winner with the Mumbai Indians, just as TKY head coach Dwayne Bravo is still a beloved figure in the Chennai Super Kings camp.

Also, three IPL franchises currently own sister teams in the CPL, extending their influence across continents. The Kolkata Knight Riders were, of course, the pioneers. They acquired Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel in 2015 and rebranded them as Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR).

Similarly, Punjab Kings (PBKS) took over the St Lucia Zouks in 2021, renaming the team as St Lucia Kings. The third IPL-CPL connection is through Rajasthan Royals (RR), who co-own the Barbados Royals.