- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 14/Aug 14:13

Pooran takes over as TKR captain

A new face will be at the helm of the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) for the 2025 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League season as Nicholas Pooran takes over as skipper. Pooran replaces the long-serving Kieron Pollard who had been in charge since 2019 and led the team to its fourth title in 2020. TKR begin their hunt for a fifth CPL title on August 17 vs St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at the latter's home ground. Accepting the leadership role, Pooran said: “It means a lot, first and foremost, to represent TKR. It is a privilege that I'm getting the opportunity to lead this franchise. I want to give it my best shot, and hopefully make as many correct decisions as I can. It's a responsibility that has been passed on from (Dwayne) Bravo (2013 - 2019) to Pollard (2019 - 2024) and now to me." Pooran, a former West Indies captain, said he is grateful for the veterans still in his lineup and will lean on them when necessary. "For me, the most satisfying thing is that Pollard is still playing, Sunil (Narine) and Andre (Russell) are here too. That's a lot of experience I can bank on. To lead them on the field, it means a lot to me.” Reminiscing about his CPL career, playing under Bravo as a 17 year old when the franchise was called Red Steel, then recovering from a career-threatening accident in 2015 and then representing the Barbados franchise alongside Pollard, Pooran said it was surreal that they are all with TKR now and is hopeful they can win a title together. Pollard’s reign as captain was marked by consistency. Between 2019 and 2024, under his leadership, TKR not only clinched the 2020 CPL title - their fourth trophy in the competition - but did it with a record unbeaten season (12 out of 12 wins), before making two more playoff appearances, cementing their status as the league’s most consistent team. While handing over the reins, Pollard said: “I got an opportunity to lead my home franchise for the last six years, and it has been special walking out leading TKR in front of packed stadiums around the Caribbean. I believe grooming the next generation is very important. With Bravo coming on board this year as the new head coach, we felt this is the right time to get a new captain in. "Pooran is homegrown, and I think this is the right opportunity for him. We've actually been preparing him for this over the years. I don't know how much longer I'm gonna be playing for, but I'm happy for the opportunity to still be on the field and help Nicholas ease into this role." The post Pooran takes over as TKR captain appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.