Knight Riders edge Amazon Warriors in nail-biting finish to claim 2025 CPL crown

0Trinbago Knight Riders clinched the 2025 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League title with a nail-biting three-wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Guyana National Stadium.

The Warriors have now lost seven of the eight CPL finals they have played in

Chasing 131 for victory, the Knight Riders reached their target with two overs to spare, finishing on 133 for 7 in 18 overs.

After opting to bat first, Guyana struggled to build momentum, closing on 130 for 8. Ben McDermott provided early impetus with a brisk 28 from 17 balls (3 fours, 2 sixes), while Iftikhar Ahmed’s steady 30 from 27 and Dwaine Pretorius’s 25 from 18 held the innings together. TKR’s left-arm seamer Saurabh Netravalkar led the way with the ball, taking 3 for 25, while Akeal Hosein’s tight spell earned him 2 for 26. Usman Tariq and Andre Russell chipped in with a wicket apiece, and the Warriors were restricted to just six fours and seven sixes in their innings.

Trinbago’s chase began briskly through Colin Munro (23 from 15) and Alex Hales (26 from 34), but wickets at regular intervals kept the contest finely poised. The momentum shifted in the middle overs when Sunil Narine struck 22 from 17 with two towering sixes, followed by Kieron Pollard’s quickfire 21 from 12 balls, including three maximums. At 114 for 5 in the 16th over, Trinbago looked in command, but back-to-back wickets of Pollard and Russell left them wobbling.

Veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir was the pick of Guyana’s bowlers, finishing with 3 for 34, while youngster Shamar Joseph bowled with fire to claim 2 for 9 from three overs. Pretorius also added two crucial strikes to keep the Warriors in contention. But with the equation narrowing, it was Akeal Hosein’s calm cameo—16 not out from just seven balls, including a six and a four—that sealed the title. Hosein’s all-round performance earned him the Man of the Match award.

The Providence finale added another fiery chapter to the CPL’s most enduring rivalry. Whenever Guyana and Trinidad collide, it is more than just cricket—it is a contest of pride, culture, and bragging rights across the Caribbean. And just as fans love to debate whether it is “chicken curry” or “curry chicken,” this rivalry serves up endless arguments, laughter, and passion, no matter which side of the boundary one stands on.

The match itself was a showcase of CPL drama: 260 runs, 15 sixes, and fluctuating fortunes that kept fans on edge until the very end. The Providence crowd, expectant of a home triumph, watched in stunned silence as Hosein clipped the winning runs.