Nicholas Pooran, leading the Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2025 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), endured a frustrating outing on Wednesday (August 20) against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound. Chasing 168, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter came in at No. 3 but could manage only 10 runs off 14 deliveries before falling to Rahkeem Cornwall.
The dismissal came in the 10th over when Pooran, eager to accelerate, stepped out to launch Cornwall down the ground. However, he failed to make contact and was smartly stumped by Jewel Andrew, leaving Trinbago in trouble. Visibly annoyed with himself, the skipper vented his frustration by smashing the pitch repeatedly—a reaction that quickly went viral after the CPL’s official X handle shared the clip.
While Nicholas Pooran’s early exit hurt the chase, veteran all-rounder Kieron Pollard provided hope with a quickfire 43 off 28 balls. But despite his efforts, Trinbago Knight Riders fell short, as Antigua and Barbuda Falcons registered a crucial victory.
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For the Falcons, left-arm pacer Obed McCoy was the standout performer with figures of 4/39, while Cornwall and Shakib Al Hasan chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Pooran bamboozled! 💫
Rahkeem Cornwall gets the TKR Skipper! 💥#CPL25 #CricketPlayedLouder#BiggestPartyInSport #ABFvTKR #Sky365 pic.twitter.com/kBmHmwgIFZ
— CPL T20 (@CPL) August 21, 2025
Earlier, Fabian Allen delivered a blistering cameo, smashing 45 off just 20 balls at No. 7. His 69-run partnership with skipper Imad Wasim, who remained unbeaten on 39 from 27, lifted the Falcons to 167/6 in their 20 overs. For TKR, Usman Tariq and Nathan Edwards claimed two wickets each, while Akeal Hosein and Mohammad Amir picked up one apiece.
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The result marked a setback for Pooran’s men, who had opened their CPL 2025 campaign on a positive note with a 12-run win against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots on August 17, highlighted by Colin Munro’s magnificent 120 as an opener. Trinbago Knight Riders will now aim to bounce back when they face Saint Lucia Kings on Saturday (August 23) at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet.
