Pooran Calls Trinbago Knight Riders’ Season “Very Poor” After Third Straight Defeat

Nicholas Pooran described Trinbago Knight Riders’ season as “very poor” after the team suffered its third straight defeat in the Caribbean Premier League. TKR lost their final home match by eight runs to Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday night.

The result left TKR with four defeats from five matches at home and placed their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy. Pooran said the match slipped away during the Powerplay, when TKR lost four wickets despite scoring 63 runs in the opening six overs.

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One hundred and eighty three is obviously a good score here, and we knew the dew was going to come, but losing four wickets in the Powerplay is unacceptable.

“One hundred and eighty three is obviously a good score here, and we knew the dew was going to come, but losing four wickets in the Powerplay is unacceptable,” Pooran said. “That’s where I feel we lost the game, especially with myself getting out in the sixth over.”

He was also sharply critical of the team’s reaction to the Falcons’ quick start. “That start was unacceptable for us. It looked like we just gave up and allowed the game to slip away, and as a group, you can’t play cricket like that,” he said. “If your body language is down and you’re not up for a fight, then it makes no sense to play.”

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That start was unacceptable for us. It looked like we just gave up and allowed the game to slip away, and as a group, you can’t play cricket like that.

Falcons reached 183 for four after Hasan Nawaz struck 76 from 36 balls. Evin Lewis and Rahkeem Cornwall added 40 before Cornwall was dismissed, while TKR missed chances to remove Lewis and Moeen Ali. Nawaz capitalised, reaching his half-century from 36 balls before falling to Lahiru Kumara. The Falcons’ captain then hit a boundary from the final ball.

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If your body language is down and you’re not up for a fight, then it makes no sense to play.

Cornwall later produced a decisive spell of three for 17, dismissing both Colin Munro and Pooran after they made promising starts. Kieron Pollard and Joshua Da Silva briefly revived TKR’s chase with a 55-run partnership, but Pollard was caught while playing through calf and side injuries. Da Silva finished unbeaten on 54, including a six from the final ball, but TKR ended on 175 for eight.

Pooran praised Pollard’s effort. “What he did tonight showed why he’s probably the greatest T20 batter in the world,” he said. “Playing through a damaged calf and a side strain while still giving everybody hope says a lot about his character.”

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What he did tonight showed why he’s probably the greatest T20 batter in the world.