PROVIDENCE, Guyana – THE Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) claimed the 2025 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title monday morning, defeating the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) in a dramatic final at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence.
In a rematch of the 2023 final at the same venue, the Warriors won the toss and chose to bat first. But their innings got off to a disastrous start as in-form opener Quentin Sampson fell for a duck, caught at short leg off a well-executed short-ball plan. Ben McDermott and Shai Hope briefly steadied the innings, pushing the score to 41 before McDermott departed trying to accelerate. By the end of the powerplay, Guyana were 41/2, with Trinbago’s spinners tightening the screws.
Akeal Hosein struck in the eighth over to remove Hope, and Sunil Narine delivered a maiden in the 10th, leaving GAW under severe pressure at the halfway mark. Their woes deepened when Moeen Ali and Shimron Hetmyer fell in successive overs, reducing the home side to 65/5. Despite some late resistance from the lower order, the Warriors limped to 130/8. Saurabh Netravalkar was outstanding with the ball, finishing with figures of 3/25 from his four overs.
TKR’s chase began with fireworks as Romario Shepherd leaked 22 runs in the second over. However, Pretorius gave the Warriors a lifeline by removing Colin Munro, while Nicholas Pooran also fell cheaply, sparking hope among the packed home crowd. At the end of the powerplay, Trinbago were 45/2.
Imran Tahir further lifted spirits when he dismissed Darren Bravo in the eighth over, but Narine, promoted to No. 5, counterattacked with two towering sixes off Gudakesh Motie in the 12th, swinging the momentum back toward TKR.
The decisive blow came from skipper Kieron Pollard, who launched three sixes off Tahir in the 14th over to put Trinbago firmly in control. Yet, the match had one final twist: Tahir removed both Pollard and Andre Russell in successive deliveries, and Shamar Joseph accounted for Alex Hales soon after, leaving the contest suddenly wide open.
With the pressure mounting, Akeal Hosein held his nerve, smashing Motie for a six and a four to seal victory. Trinbago crossed the finish line with composure, lifting the CPL 2025 crown in front of a stunned Guyanese crowd.
