CPL 2023: TKR Beat Royals At The Oval

Trinbago Knight Riders earned a valuable win as they defeated Barbados Royals by 42 runs in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at the Oval last evening. Barbados Royals won the toss and chose to field first, and were met with the wrath of Nicholas Pooran who scored a fantastic century. Pooran and Andre Russell would create fireworks in front of a packed home crowd, launching sixes and combining for an 82-run partnership off just 36 balls, as the Knight Riders posted a massive total of 208/6 after 20 overs. The Royals were unable to chase down that total despite a valiant 70 from Kyle Mayers, as the spin bowling of Waqar Salamkheil and Akeal Hosein played a crucial role in restricting the Royals to 166/7 after 20 overs. The win means the Trinbago Knight Riders now move to second on the table with 9 points as they look to qualify for the play-off leg in Guyana. Speaking on his century, Nicholas Pooran credited all-round support and a change in mindset.