TKR vs GAW | Saurabh Netravalkar and Akeal Hosein star as Knight Riders coast to fifth CPL title

‌Trinbago Knight Riders lifted their fifth Caribbean Premier League title after beating Guyana Amazon Warriors by three wickets in the final of th 2025 edition in Guyana. Left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar and spinner Akeal Hosein came up with impressive spells to restrict the home side to 130/8 in 20 overs. Kieron Pollard and Hosein, then, had to come up with invaluable contributions with the bat to see the Knight Riders home in a thrilling finish on Monday. Meanwhile, the Warriors stumbled at the final step yet again after losing out to St Lucia Kings in the summit clash of the previous year.

Chasing 131, opener Colin Munro gave the visitors a brisk start with three fours and a six during his knock of 23 off 15 balls. But his dismissal slowed down proceedings, as the Knight Riders could add only 56 runs in the next 10 overs for the loss of three more wickets. Captain Nicholas Pooran, too, struggled before getting dismissed for a nine-ball one, but Sunil Narine came up with a crucial innings of 22 from 17 balls, including two sixes. However, Narine’s dismissal did not affect the Knight Riders as Pollard took over with three giant hits in his 12-ball 21. The Warriors skipper Imran Tahir brought the home side briefly into the game with wickets of Pollard and Andre Russell off consecutive balls. With Alex Hales also departing, after a struggling knock, in the next over, the Knight Riders were left with 15 more to get from 22 balls, but with only three wickets in hand. However, Hosein smashed a six and a four during his entertaining cameo of 16 to take them to 133/7 with two overs to spare. Tahir was the Warriors’ best bowler with a spell of 3/34, while Dwain Pretorius and Shamar Joseph picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, the home side slipped to 65/5 in 12 overs after opting to bat first at the Providence Stadium with opener Ben McDermott coming good, hitting two sixes and three fours, with a 17-ball 28. Iftikhar Ahmed and Pretorius rescued the side from their middle-order collapse to post a respectable total on the board. Iftikhar top-scored in the game with 30 off 27 balls, a knock that consisted of three fours and a six, while the South African all-rounder chipped in with an 18-ball 25. Netravalkar was the pick among the Knight Riders’ bowlers with figures of 3/25 in four overs, while left-arm spinner Hosein had 2/26.