Akeal Hosein Seals Fifth CPL Title for Trinbago Knight Riders in Nail-Biting Final Against Guyana Amazon Warriors

Akeal Hosein Seals Fifth CPL Title for Trinbago Knight Riders in Nail-Biting Final Against Guyana Amazon Warriors

Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) clinched their record fifth Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title in a thrilling finale, defeating Guyana Amazon Warriors by three wickets in front of a stunned home crowd at Providence. The match swung wildly before Akeal Hosein emerged as the hero with both bat and ball, sealing victory with just 11 balls to spare.

Chasing a modest target of 131, TKR stumbled to 116 for 7, needing 15 runs from the final 22 deliveries. But Hosein, showing nerves of steel, struck a six and a four off consecutive balls from Gudakesh Motie to snatch the title in dramatic fashion, finishing unbeaten on 16 off 7 balls.

Akeal Hosein Stars with All-Round Brilliance

Earlier, Hosein had made his mark with the ball, picking up 2 for 26 in his four overs, including the key wickets of Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer, as the Amazon Warriors were restricted to 130 for 8. The left-arm spinner’s performance, alongside a disciplined spell from Saurabh Netravalkar (3 for 25), kept the Warriors in check after a brief middle-order resistance.

“It’s a surreal feeling,” Hosein said after the match. “To contribute in both departments on a night like this – it’s what you dream about. The belief never left us.”

Tahir’s Heroics Nearly Pull It Back for Warriors

Despite setting a below-par total, Guyana were in the hunt thanks to the ageless Imran Tahir, who at 46 years old, turned back the clock with a stunning spell of 3 for 34. His scalps included Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell in consecutive balls, breathing life into the contest.

Shamar Joseph also impressed with 2 for 9, including the crucial wicket of Alex Hales for a scratchy 26 off 34. At that point, the Warriors dared to dream, but Hosein dashed their hopes with his late cameo.

Top-Order Struggles Define the Final

It was a game dominated by bowlers, with Iftikhar Ahmed’s 30 the highest individual score across both innings. For the Warriors, the innings never gained momentum after an early breakthrough from Russell, who removed Quentin Sampson for a duck in the first over.

A brief counter-attack from Ben McDermott (28 off 17) was cut short by Netravalkar, sparking a collapse of 4 for 24. Late contributions from Dwaine Pretorius (25) and Romario Shepherd (13) gave the Warriors some hope, but 130 was always going to be tough to defend on a decent batting track.

TKR's Nerve Holds in Tense Chase

In reply, Colin Munro got TKR off to a flying start with a 23-run cameo, aided by a 22-run over that included five wides from Shepherd. But wickets kept falling as Guyana’s spinners—Moeen Ali and Tahir—applied the brakes.

Sunil Narine’s two sixes off Motie temporarily lifted the pressure, but Joseph’s wicket of Narine and Tahir’s double-strike brought the game back to life. When Hales departed with 15 still needed, the momentum was with the Warriors—until Hosein calmly finished the job.

Historic Fifth Title for TKR

This win marks TKR’s fifth CPL championship, reaffirming their dominance in the league’s history. Despite a shaky chase, their composure under pressure, led by Hosein’s all-round brilliance, was enough to outlast a spirited Warriors side.

Final Scorecard:

  • Guyana Amazon Warriors: 130/8 (Iftikhar 30, McDermott 28; Netravalkar 3-25, Hosein 2-26)

  • Trinbago Knight Riders: 133/7 in 18.1 overs (Hales 26, Munro 23; Tahir 3-34, Joseph 2-9)

  • Result: TKR won by 3 wickets

  • Player of the Match: Akeal Hosein