- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 27/Aug 03:30

TKR aim to shine in home CPL matches; Nicholas Pooran says pressure to deliver

Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) captain Nicholas Pooran said his teammates are eager to bring smiles to their fans as they aim to deliver at home in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL). TKR will have the full support of the crowd as they bowl off their home leg against the Antigua and Barbuda Falcons on August 27 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), Tarouba, at 7 pm. Looking ahead to the five home matches at the BLCA, Pooran said, “Representing our people at home is a lot of pressure, but we have to stay professional about it. Nothing feels better than putting a smile on our people faces and that is only going to happen when we win. Our main goal is to achieve two points every game and it is about being as consistent as we can and continue to improve as a group.” TKR have started the 2025 campaign with two wins and one loss. Pooran, a wicket-keeper batter, admitted that his team will take one game at a time with little expectations, but he hopes that they will end the five-year title drought at the end of the tournament. He said, “Our end goal is to be successful at the end of the tournament, but in order for that to happen we have to embrace our journey regardless of the highs and lows. We are not searching for perfection, but consistency as a group both on and off the field." The former West Indies T20 captain Pooran, took the role of captaincy from Kieron Pollard at the start of the campaign. A moment described by head coach Dwayne Bravo as a father passing the mantle to his son. However, Pooran is not phased by the responsibility, but rather aiming to grasp the challenge with both hands. “I have a lot of experience when it comes to captaincy. I failed miserably in the past, and I had some successes. Fortunately, I have really good guys around me who could help and lead me through any struggles I may go through in the tournament or successes to remain humble.” First-time head coach in the CPL and former captain of TKR, Dwayne Bravo, believes that his team is poised to have a good showing in front of the home crowd. The former all-rounder said, “I expect a full stadium and for the fans to come out in their numbers to support us. We are going to do everything in our powers to win every game. Obviously, in sports, you want to win but sometimes results don’t always go your way. But from a preparation point of view, the guys are in form.” He admitted, “CPL is a very tough tournament, so we have to take it each game at a time, but the most important thing is that the fans will see a passionate team and a team that is going to do everything to win.” Commenting on the composition of his TKR squad, Bravo said, “I wanted to have an experienced squad, TKR didn’t get to lift the trophy over the last few years. We didn’t have the depth and experience. I brought back (Colin) Munro who is a success for TKR and CPL, my brother Darren Bravo to have someone on the bench if I do need a quality player to come in. It is always good to have a mystery spinner in your squad like Usman Tariq, our successes over the years came when we had three spinners, so having all three quality spinners is a bonus.” Other than Tariq, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein and off-spinner Sunil Narine add more variety. Bravo acknowledged that his debut season as coach is going according to plan and it’s a lot easier being around familiar faces in a franchise that he helped build from the inception of the league. He mentioned that his team had several conversations about the continuous mistakes being made at crucial moments in the previous matches, and saw vast improvements in their last match against St Lucia Kings that they won. TKR are on four points with two wins and one loss and will be hoping to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat against the Falcons on August 27. (with reporting by Jelani Beckles). The post TKR aim to shine in home CPL matches; Nicholas Pooran says pressure to deliver appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.