How Did Hales, Pooran and Spinners Propel TKR to the CPL 2025 Final?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- TKR secured a 56-run victory to reach the final.
- Alex Hales and Nicholas Pooran scored crucial half-centuries.
- Usman Tariq and Sunil Narine were key bowlers, taking a combined seven wickets.
- Andre Russell's explosive batting added vital runs at the end.
- The Kings struggled against TKR's spin attack.
Guyana, Sep 20 (NationPress) Trinbago Knight Riders have secured their place in the final of the Caribbean Premier League 2025 with a decisive 56-run victory against the reigning champions, Saint Lucia Kings, in Qualifier 2 on Saturday.
With impressive half-centuries from Alex Hales and Nicholas Pooran, complemented by an exceptional spin performance from Usman Tariq and Sunil Narine, the four-time champions are now set for a thrilling final against the Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Batting first, TKR managed to recover from the early setback of losing Colin Munro, thanks to the reliable partnership of Hales and Pooran. This duo, who had just registered an unbeaten 143-run stand in the Eliminator, once again took charge of the innings. Pooran led the charge, reaching his fifty quickly before being dismissed by Roston Chase. Hales, initially slow, found his rhythm halfway through and also reached his half-century, hitting consecutive sixes.
Kieron Pollard added an explosive touch, notably hitting three sixes in the last over bowled by Tabraiz Shamsi. The climax of the innings was marked by Andre Russell, who blasted 28 runs off just 12 balls, including an astonishing 22 runs in the final over bowled by David Wiese, propelling TKR to a formidable total of 194 for 4.
The Kings began their chase promisingly with Tim Seifert, who hit several boundaries to reach his fifty. However, once Narine and Akeal Hosein began bowling, the chase quickly faltered. Narine’s cunning bowling and Tariq’s breakthroughs disrupted the momentum, with the duo sharing seven wickets. Narine even managed to bowl a double-wicket maiden, while Tariq ended the match with two wickets in the last over.
Despite Seifert's resistance and Tim David’s brief innings, the Kings were ultimately dismissed for 138 for 8, concluding their title defense. For TKR, this comprehensive performance highlighted their depth, with both batters and bowlers contributing effectively ahead of the grand finale.
Brief Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 194/4 in 20 overs (Alex Hales 58, Nicholas Pooran 50; Roston Chase 1-16, Khary Pierre 1-24) defeated Saint Lucia Kings 138/8 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 57, Tim David 28; Usman Tariq 4-35, Sunil Narine 3-18) by 56 runs.