[caption id="attachment_972702" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this September 1, 2021 file photo, Kieron Pollard of Trinbago Knight Riders takes a catch to dismiss Nicholas Pooran of Guyana Amazon Warriors in the super over during the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League match at Warner Park Sporting Complex, in Basseterre, St Kitts . - Photo courtesy CPL T20[/caption]
FOUR-TIME winners of the Hero Caribbean Premier League T20 tournament Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) will be hunting another crown in the 2022 edition.
TKR will open their campaign on Thursday against St Lucia Kings at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts, at 10 am.
If the matches were played on paper, TKR are clearly the frontrunners to capture the title with the batting line-up, especially a formidable one.
[caption id="attachment_972706" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this August 29, 2021 file photo, Trinbago Knight Riders batsman Colin Munro sweeps a ball for a boundary while St Lucia Kings wicketkeeper Andre Fletcher watches during the Hero Caribbean Premier League match between St Lucia Kings and Trinbago Knight Riders at Warner Park Sporting Complex, in Basseterre, St Kitts. (Photo by CPL T20/Getty Images) -[/caption]
A weak area in the TKR team may be their inexperienced fast bowling, with the likes of Anderson Phillip and Jayden Seales still developing their skills in T20 cricket. Ali Khan has been a solid performer for TKR, but he has not been among the wickets regularly over the last two seasons.
Dwayne Bravo led the pace bowling attack for TKR, before joining St Kitts and Nevis Patriots last year.
Pollard at the helm
Kieron Pollard will again captain the TT franchise despite Nicholas Pooran rejoining TKR.
Some expected Pooran to be named TKR captain as he is now the West Indies 'white-ball' captain.
In a media conference on Tuesday, Pollard said Pooran has had an intense few months with West Indies as captain and will be given time to focus on other areas of the game.
Pollard’s power hitting and medium pace will again be pivotal to TKR’s success.
Pollard has led TKR to the pinnacle in the past as he was the captain in the championship winning team of 2020, TKR’s last CPL title.
Dre Russ adds more firepower
TKR have added more fire power to their line-up as Andre Russell will debut for the TT franchise.
Russell, who is also a useful fast-medium pacer, will be in form heading into the CPL after showing his destructive nature with the bat during the just concluded SKYEXCH 6ixty tournament.
Russell slammed 72 off only 24 balls against Patriots on Saturday. His knock included eight sixes and five fours.
Russell’s move from Jamaica Tallawahs should not come as a surprise as the Jamaican has been part of TKR’s brother franchise Kolkata Knight Riders for years.
Russell has had some memorable performances in the CPL. In 2018, he became just the second player in T20 cricket to score a century and grab a hat-trick in the same match.
He achieved that memorable feat against TKR as a Tallawahs player.
Russel
