Tariq and Narine Lead Knight Riders to CPL Final

The Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) stormed into the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 final with a commanding 56-run victory over the defending champions, the Saint Lucia Kings. Their success was built on a foundation of powerful batting, spearheaded by half-centuries from Nicholas Pooran and Alex Hales, followed by a disciplined and incisive bowling performance that effectively strangled the Kings’ chase. The Knight Riders now prepare to face the Guyana Amazon Warriors in a highly anticipated final showdown on Sunday.

The Knight Riders’ innings, despite losing Colin Munro early, quickly gained momentum thanks to a series of substantial partnerships. Pooran, continuing his impressive tournament form, played a blistering knock, smashing 50 runs off just 32 balls before being dismissed by Roston Chase. While Pooran provided the initial fireworks, Hales played a more controlled innings, steadily accumulating runs before accelerating towards the end, finishing unbeaten on 58. This blend of aggressive and calculated batting provided the perfect platform for the late-order onslaught.

Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell then injected further impetus into the innings, exploiting the death overs with their characteristic power hitting. Pollard bludgeoned 35 runs while Russell contributed a quickfire 28. Their combined assault propelled the Knight Riders to a formidable total of 194/4 from their allotted 20 overs, setting a challenging target for the Kings to chase.

The Kings’ pursuit of the target began promisingly, with Tim Seifert showcasing his boundary-hitting prowess in the powerplay. Alongside Johnson Charles, they reached 44/0 at the end of the powerplay, seemingly on track for a competitive chase. However, the introduction of spin into the attack proved to be a turning point in the match.

The Knight Riders’ spin trio of Sunil Narine, Usman Tariq, and Akeal Hosein applied the brakes on the Kings’ scoring rate, weaving a web of control and deception. The Kings endured a barren spell of 5.2 overs without a boundary, as the spinners choked the flow of runs. With the required run rate escalating rapidly, the pressure mounted on the Kings’ middle order, who desperately needed a heroic innings to revive their fading hopes of defending their title.

However, the crucial breakthrough came when Usman Tariq dismissed both Tim David and Akeem Auguste in consecutive deliveries, effectively extinguishing the Kings’ resistance. Tariq emerged as the pick of the bowlers, finishing with impressive figures of 4/35. Narine complemented Tariq’s performance with a miserly spell, conceding only 18 runs and taking three crucial wickets in his four overs. The Kings’ chase ultimately faltered, ending at 138/9, handing the Knight Riders a convincing victory and a place in the final. The stage is now set for a thrilling final encounter between the Knight Riders and the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday. This will be the third final clash between these two sides, with TKR having won the 2018 final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy and the Amazon Warriors emerging victorious in the 2023 final at Providence. The historical rivalry adds another layer of intrigue to what promises to be a captivating contest for the CPL 2025 title.